


No Rest for the Wicked

by Himaryan



Series: Demigods On Top of the World [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Action/Adventure, Break Up, Gen, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Multi, POV Alternating, POV Multiple, POV Third Person, Post-Canon, Quests
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-31
Updated: 2014-10-30
Packaged: 2018-02-15 11:37:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 24,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2227590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Himaryan/pseuds/Himaryan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A quest is called and three heroes set out to save the world. Again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I. Jason. The Sky Asks For Some Help

**Author's Note:**

> I thought of the premise for this series a long time ago, but I wanted it to be canon compliant with The Blood of Olympus. I was going to wait until after the book release, but a sudden burst of inspiration has caused me to forgo that plan and march forward. The reason I wanted to write this series is the sequel to this story, so I guess that’s why I’m raring to go so much.
> 
> Planning wise, I have the entire story outlined. Because of this, I know it’s six chapters long with three evenly split POVs of Jason Grace, Piper Mclean, and Nico di Angelo.
> 
> Pairing wise, if you came here expecting Jason and Piper to stay together forever, well, you might not be that happy in the end. The conception of this series’ idea came from a place of me wanting to write a Jason and Nico story. Just a little warning.

Jason woke up to streaks of lightning flashing inside cabin one. His blinks were slow as he took in the otherwise dark room, but his heart raced. 

Did thunder wake him up? That didn’t seem right since he was a heavy sleeper. Speaking of heavy, Jason felt like weights had been placed on top of his body. He sat up to try and shake off the feeling.

That was when Jason realized he had a guest.

In one smooth motion, Jason swiped his imperial gold sword from its resting spot by his bed, and got in a crouching position. He didn’t want to strike yet, but their presence made his skin crawl. The room lightened as if the moon poked its head out from behind storm clouds.  

“I come in peace, little demigod,” said the figure as they raised their hands in submission. The sleeves rolled back to show off even more skin that was as dark as a crow’s feather. 

“Identify yourself,” Jason tried to sound commanding, but his voice was scratchy from sleep, so he sounded like he needed a nap. Great. 

“I am someone in need of your help. I am Ouranos,” he tilted his head and considered Jason with a cursory up-and-down glance. “Or Uranus, if that name suits you more.”

The thunder in his ceiling cracked and banged louder. If this guy was Ouranos, then he wasn’t well-known for being nice. This guy hated his kids so much he threw them into Tartarus. 

Plus, last time Jason met a primordial being, she tried to destroy all life. 

Jason wondered if he could take this guy if needed. If he had to be honest, probably not. Gaea needed an entire team of fate-picked demigods; there was a good chance he was just as tough. Jason would hold him off if needed though. There was no way he’d let Camp half-Blood get devastated again. 

He was going to have to see what Ouranos wanted. Jason’s knuckles shone bone white as he tightened his grip on his sword.

“Why have you come here for my help?”

“You are a child of the sky. I thought it natural,” Ouranos tilted his dark face again. Freckles shone like diamonds over the bridge of his nose. “And I am in dire need. That is what we immortals do, is it not? Ask little demigods for help?”

“What do you need help with?”

“My ungrateful son sliced me into many pieces, and I have spent eons recuperating. Sleeping,” his ink black eyes surveyed the cabin ceiling. Jason remembered that story. Kronos had sliced his father up as his other Titan siblings held Ouranos down. Gaea, their mother, had given Kronos the scythe. After that, well, there wasn’t anything after that. Ouranos was never mentioned again. “My beloved... She woke recently. You met her, did you not? I heard you played a hand in putting her back to sleep.”

“I did.”

“I am not happy to hear that demigods stopped her, and I wish I had been awake to see her again,” he admitted. “But, the time to greet her has passed. I lost my chance this time around.”

“My condolences,” Jason tried to keep a placating tone, but the spite was brittle in his throat. “So what do you need help with? If it’s raising her again, I’m going to have to decline.”

“You misunderstand me, little demigod. I wish no harm to you or your little friends. I come here seeking the solace of sleep like you have given my beloved.”

“You... Want me to put you back asleep?”

“Yes. I would prefer it sooner rather than later. My power grows to its maximum with every passing second. The Olympians will step in to try unnecessary and painful means to put me to sleep, and I would rather go quietly.”

“Why would the Olympians step in?”

Ouranos flicked his dark eyes up to the ceiling as it rumbled and flashed. His chapped lips made a thin smirk.

“The greatest fear of Olympus is a change in power. I once ruled as the Olympians do. Like my beloved and my ungrateful son did. Why would they not step in?”

He had a point, Jason conceded, but that didn’t mean he was going to trust Ouranos. The problem was that he couldn’t deny Ouranos either. Putting him to sleep sounded like a _good_ thing. Jason was trying to think of how this was a ploy to destroy everything, but Jason drew a blank. He wished he was even half as smart as Annabeth. Maybe then he could figure out how Ouranos was trying to trick him.

“Call a quest, little demigod. Get your guide to tell you where to go. Help me, and I will sleep in peace and you can avoid a potential crisis.”

Ouranos dispersed into mist. The cabin’s ceiling continued to rumble and flash with lightning. Jason wondered if that was his dad’s way of telling him to do something.

He had to do it, didn’t he? Jason couldn’t let Ouranos, who was notorious for being more cruel than Gaea, walk free. He was offering to go down quietly, and Jason had to make sure that happened.

 _In the morning_ , he thought to himself as he put his sword down and slumped back on his bed. _I’ll call for a quest in the morning_.

Jason drifted off to sleep hoping for pleasant dreams. As a demigod, that was pretty laughable, but Jason liked to remain optimistic about these sorts of things. It was the only line of defense he had at the wrath of his subconscious. 

Jason dreamed he was on a picnic with Leo and Piper. They were smiling and laughing. Seeing them so happy made Jason smile too. 

The sun was bright. Really, bright, actually. The water from Camp Half-Blood’s lake reflected so much light Jason had to squint to see. It didn’t help that he felt like either he had taken a swim or he was just sweating that bad.

“!” Weird. Jason opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He just wanted to ask them if they wanted to go sit in the shade, but Piper and Leo continued to laugh and talk like he wasn’t there. Jason’s smile fell. 

He heard a _crunch_ of dead leaves on the ground. Jason turned around to see Reyna standing in the shade of the trees. Her eyes hardened as she stared at the horizon.

Jason tried to remember the last time he talked to her. He used to talk to Reyna every day whether it was early in the morning during a jog or hushed over campfire in the dead of night. They had a few good talks when Gaea went down, but now he was lucky to get a “hello” in.

She glanced at Jason, her face tired and hurt, before turning and disappearing into the forest. 

“!” Jason tried again, and immediately took off after her. A few moments later, he was deep in the forest.

“!!!” Jason’s throat felt like a grater shredded it. He pushed his way past branches as the sky got darker and the warmth of the sun turned to frigid ice and whistling winds.

Jason wasn’t in Camp Half-Blood’s woods anymore. Or maybe he was, and the Wolf House magically transported itself here. Jason was all alone at the Wolf House’s doorstep. A lemony scent breezed by him, and the smell made his eyes well up.

That was when Jason noticed a lone figure walking away from the Wolf House. 

“?” Jason tried running after them, and the dead leaves crunched under his shoes. If his voice couldn’t reach them, then maybe he could at least try to get their attention. As Jason got closer, he recognized the messy mop of black hair and aviator jacket. That was definitely Nico di Angelo walking away from him.

He hadn’t seen Nico in months; the guy kept his promise about disappearing. Seeing him now was like a surge of joy and Jason ran faster.

“!” The moment Jason reached out to touch Nico’s shoulder, he was back at the lakeside where he had been having a picnic with Piper and Leo. It was pitch black, and the trees behind him melted into darkness.

Ouranos sat where his friends had been.

“Do not fail me, little demigod,” the sombre tone of Ouranos felt like a lightning strike aimed straight at Jason’s heart. “Do not fail me like you have failed your friends.”

That was when Jason woke up. His body was slick with sweat, and his breaths came out ragged. He was crying, too. Great.

Jason’s body groaned as he sat up and wiped his eyes. The ceiling was bright with morning sun, but storm clouds lingered. Eventually, Jason just settled for holding his head up with his hands. He wanted to make sure he shook off the remnants of his dream before he started what would probably be a big day.

_Knock knock knock_

Jason jumped at the sound. He snatched his bedsheets lightning quick to make himself decent for a visitor, but it was Piper that poked her head inside.

“Hey, sleepyhead, are you awake yet?”

“I, uh?” Jason garbled out. Nice. Real smooth. 

Piper walked in dressed for the day with her Camp Half-Blood t-shirt half tucked into her high waisted shorts. Jason guessed it was chilly out since she wore black stockings under her shorts. She had twin fat braids pulling hair back into a ponytail. With so much hair pulled back, Jason saw her face with dazzling clarity. The smile that tugged on her plump lips fell as she approached him.

“Something wrong?” 

“Uh, just a dream,” Jason rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. Maybe if he dug in deep enough he could claw out his headache. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Piper sat down next to him and placed a kiss to his bare shoulder. Jason remembered how dream Piper didn’t even notice him, but here the real Piper sat with concern filling her face.

“No, it’s nothing major. I have more important things to concentrate on,” Jason furrowed his eyebrows. “I need to gather the head counselors and call for a quest.”

“A quest?” Piper leaned forward to get a good look at Jason. Her kaleidoscope eyes were mesmerizing up close. “What happened?”

“I’ll explain at the meeting. Can you help me gather everyone?”

“Sure,” Piper nodded. “Although you should shower first. And get dressed. _And_ eat. Which should give everyone enough time to get here for whatever bad news you’re probably going to tell us.”

Jason groaned and ran a hand through his hair.

“I’ll be ready in an hour.”

* * *

 

Meeting around ping pong tables was new for Jason, but the snacks and juice were a nice change. Unfortunately, he didn’t have much time to enjoy them once the meeting started. Jason folded his hands in front of him so he wouldn’t look as nervous as he felt and recounted his midnight chat. His head ached as everyone stared him down for information. 

“And that’s all he told me,” Jason finished.

“I can’t believe this,” Annabeth Chase ran her fingers through her thick curly blonde hair. “I thought we were done after Gaea, but I guess not.”

“This isn’t the next big prophecy, is it?” asked Percy Jackson. He sat next to Annabeth and had an arm hoisted on the back of her chair.

“No,” Rachel Elizabeth Dare answered. Her green eyes scrunched up as she tapped fingers against the tabletop. “At least, it doesn’t feel like it.”

“What, not getting good prophecy-sensing reception in here?” Leo Valdez quipped without looking up from his current project. It was some sort of palm pilot with its mechanical guts sticking out. Despite the comment, Leo seemed dazed and completely out of his usual fire.

“The ways of the oracle aren’t all that straightforward,” Rachel rolled her eyes. “But I am at least ninety-five percent sure it’s not the next big prophecy.”

“Sounds good enough to me,” shrugged Percy. 

Murmurs rippled through the congregated demigods. Instead of senators, it was camp counselors. All of the camp counselors weren’t here since it was short notice during the school season, but a decent amount made it. For all the differences Camp Half-Blood had with Camp Jupiter, this was oddly familiar. 

“So, let’s call a quest,” said Piper. She was on Jason’s other side and had a hand on his thigh. It was a nice solid comfort after a hectic night.

“I don’t think we should rush into this,” said Annabeth. “I feel like there’s some sort of drawback. I mean, how often do immortal beings come for help and have 100% pure intentions. No offense,” she directed that last one to Dion- well, Mr. D, as they called him. 

“None taken,” he shrugged.

“While I agree we should tread carefully,” interjected Chiron. “Ouranos was right. Olympus will reach out for something to be done sooner or later.”

Chiron glanced at Mr. D who seemed to be feigning apathy. Or maybe he was actually apathetic. Jason hadn’t known the god for long. His first five months at Camp Half-Blood didn’t have its resident godly baby-sitter around. 

“So, you’re saying we have to take a quest to help him?” said Will Solace. His deft fingers tapped against the ping pong table.

“No, he’s saying _Grace_ has to take a quest to help him,” Clarisse La Rue snorted. “I’m right, aren’t I? Superboy gets to lead another quest and he hasn’t even been here a full year.”

“I didn’t choose the quests I’ve been on. You know that’s not how it works,” Jason defended. He wish he didn’t have to, though. The thought of leading another quest so soon left his stomach knotted like he’d had a bad breakfast.

Clarisse glared as she sipped capri sun. “Whatever.”

“We should just get a prophecy and go from there,” said Percy. His eyebrows knitted together like something was bothering him, but he turned to Rachel. “Feel anything... Green mist-y and a little terrifying trying to possess your body?”

“Not yet,” Rachel said as she closed her eyes. 

“Should we alert Camp Jupiter about this?” asked Piper.

“There’s nothing they can do about it,” said Pollux, the only camper in the Dionysus cabin. “But, they’d probably want to know anyway, wouldn’t they?”

Everyone turned to Jason. Right. He’s the roman of the group even if he didn’t feel all that roman. He wished they would look to Percy; he’s been to Camp Jupiter more in the past four months than Jason has. 

“We barely made amends after Gaea’s defeat, so anything to disrupt the peace would be bad. If this turns ugly, we’d want them to have a heads up.”

“I’m going to meet with the Praetors of Camp Jupiter tomorrow anyway,” said Percy. “So I can tell them all the details.”

“You have a meeting with them? What for?” Jason quirked an eyebrow at Percy who shrugged in response.

“We’re just talking over some stuff. It’s no biggie.”

“And it’s not what we’re meeting about now, so can we get back on topic?” Clarisse grunted. “I don’t have all day.”

“We can’t decide who’s going on a quest until after we hear a prophecy,” Annabeth pointed out. She turned to Rachel and her features got softer. “Do you feel anything yet, Rach’?”

“I think I,” Rachel snapped her lips together and went rigid. Annabeth immediately reached out to support her as Rachel’s eyes began to glow with a pale green light. Green smoke curled around everyone. Soon Jason could only see Rachel’s rigid form amongst the smoke clouds staring straight at him. Great, so he was definitely leading this quest. 

When Rachel began to speak, her voice was raspy:

 

_Beware the traitor and the darkest night,_

_Lyre reborn can solve the sky's plight._

_Your trail grows cold without hunter's hands,_

_In the new world is where the relic stands._

_You will fail both your labors and your friends,_

_And gain what you wanted most in the end._

 

Jason felt his breath stutter as the mist cleared. Rachel slumped back, and Annabeth cradled her. The pale green glowing light was gone as Rachel blinked into consciousness. 

The room was silent.

“So, that didn’t sound good,” said Travis Stoll.

“Not at all,” his brother, Conner, agreed.

“When do prophecies ever sound good?” Jason found his voice somehow, but he felt like smoke ashes coated his lips. 

“Almost never,” Piper squeezed his thigh. Right. Jason took in a deep breath to try and calm down, but the words of the prophecy repeated in his mind. “ _Beware the traitor and the darkest night_ ” sounded bad enough, but “ _You will fail both your labors and your friends_ ” was what made Jason even queasier than before. His headache continued to pound against his skull.

“So, I guess I have to pick two people to go with me.”

No one immediately volunteered. Jason couldn’t blame them.

“We should figure out where you’re headed first,” Annabeth started after a few moments of silence. “Sometimes having certain abilities help quests succeed.”

“‘ _Lyre reborn can solve the sky's plight’_ ,” recited Pollux. “Well, I guess you need to find a lyre to put him to sleep... Maybe you’ll have to sing Ouranos a lullaby?”

“My father has a lyre,” said Will Solace in a gloomy voice. “But, last I heard, he wasn’t interested in loaning it out. Apparently, the last time he lent it to a half-blood, they dented it.”

Jason’s eyebrows raised at that. He wondered what kind of irresponsible demigod would damage a god’s personal property.

“That’s still a good lead,” said Piper. “We can ask him anyway.”

“He’s not going to lend it out, trust me.”

“If nothing else, I can try charmspeaking him into letting us borrow it.”

“Is that a volunteer from the beauty queen?” Conner Stoll waggled his eyebrows at Piper.

“Probably,” Piper shrugged and ignored his blatant flirting. “I mean, I'm not opposed to going.” Piper smiled at Jason, and Jason tried to muster up a smile back but it fell flat. He knew that she was an extremely powerful and capable demigod, but that wasn’t the issue. The “ _You will fail both your labors and your friends”_ line echoed in his mind. He didn’t want to fail Piper.

“Apollo does make a little sense if the hunters in the prophecy line refers to the Hunters of Artemis. Artemis and Apollo find each other the easiest,” offered Will Solace. “But I still doubt he’ll let you borrow his lyre.”

Jason hoped the hunters bit was true. Thalia had taught him a way to find the hunters if he ever needed her in the aftermath of Gaea’s defeat. It would be good to see his sister again.

“I don’t think Apollo’s lyre is the one the prophecy is talking about,” Annabeth leaned forward and bit her lip. “‘Lyre reborn’ is the wording. Was anyone else known for... Oh, Orpheus.”

“What about him?” Pollux opened a cracker bag for a snack. “Wasn’t he known for trying to bring his wife back from the underworld and failing?”

“He was a musician, too,” Will Solace nodded towards Annabeth. “Apollo gifted him a golden lyre and taught him to play. He used that lyre to do... All sorts of things.”

“He helped Jason get past the Sirens,” said Piper. “I mean, the other Jason. The ancient leader of the argonauts Jason.”

“What happened to his lyre?” asked Percy as he squinted at his own half-finished capri sun. “Did he get buried with it or something?”

“No,” said Will Solace. “The lyre was carried to the heavens and placed among the stars.”

“Oh,” said Percy in a quiet voice.

“That doesn’t help us,” said Travis Stoll. 

“If it was _reborn_ it does,” said Annabeth.

“Why don’t we just send him to Tartarus?” Lou Ellen, the Hecate counselor, gestured to everyone with wide open arms. “I mean, do we really need a big quest and prophecy to get rid of him? Just slash him apart.”

“He probably won’t like that idea. Gaea dumped him for Tartarus,” Annabeth pointed out. “Nothing worse than being forced to hang around your ex’s boyfriend.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” snorted Leo.

“Okay, so we have two maybe lyre options,” Clarisse grunted. “And we’ve got one person on the ‘maybe’ list of going with superboy,” Clarisse pointed her capri sun at Piper. “Can we make some final decisions here?”

“I don’t see you helping or offering to go on this quest,” countered Travis. 

“I don’t see you doing it either,” said Clarisse. “And for the record, I haven’t offered my services because the PSATs are next week and I don’t want to miss it.”

Travis looked at her like she had grown a second head.

“What? Just because I can conquer an entire army by myself doesn’t mean I’m not going to try to conquer standardized testing too. I want to _crush_ everyone’s SAT scores. Especially Jackson’s, but that shouldn’t be too hard,” she sneered at Percy who grunted in response. Annabeth gave him a consoling pat. 

“Well, in any case,” Annabeth interjected before they could get sidetracked for too long. “The final decision of who goes is Jason’s to make.” 

Jason pushed his nausea down to think this through as everyone turned their eyes to him. 

“ _Beware the traitor and the darkest night”_ was how the prophecy kicked off. Was Ouranos a traitor? It seemed likely given his history, but Jason's learned that he shouldn’t jump to conclusions. The darkest night didn’t sound good either.

The scene of his dream where Ouranos sat in darkness played in his mind.

_“Do not fail me like you have failed your friends.”_

A shiver ran down Jason’s spine. According to the prophecy, he was going to fail. 

If failure wasn’t aggravating enough, then there was the last line of the prophecy: “ _And gain what you wanted most in the end.”_ How could he fail his friends and gain what he wanted most at the same time? All Jason wanted was for his friends to be happy, healthy, and safe. He looked at Leo, who had been suspiciously quiet the entire meeting. On his other side, Piper gave him an expectant look that mirrored everyone else’s as they stared him down.

Then he thought of Reyna, and how tattered their friendship had become. She was far away at Camp Jupiter; a true roman leader unlike him. Then there was his nonexistent friendship with Nico. Jason knew he couldn’t force the guy to do anything, but the radio silence fell heavy on his chest. For all his big talk about wanting to help Nico, he failed stupendously to do _anything_. 

Jason needed to do something, and he refused to fail even if that’s what some stupid prophecy said.

“I will take Piper Mclean and Nico di Angelo with me on this quest. We’ll leave at noon.”

“Fair enough,” said Mr. D. “Have fun horribly dying. A game of Phase 10, anyone?”

“Uh, wait,” said Annabeth. “Jason, we don’t know where Nico is. You of all people should know that. We haven’t seen him in months.”

“And we can’t IM him either,” said Percy. “Dunno why, but Iris won’t connect the call every time we’ve tried.”

“I have a way,” said Jason. Well, he did. He just had no idea if it was going to work. It was a contingency plan in case something bad happened. Jason figured Ouranos popping up qualified. “Don’t worry. I’ll get him here.”

“If you think that’s the best,” Piper smiled and reached out to squeeze his hand this time. He squeezed back. 

They volleyed a few more remarks before the meeting adjourned. Some people had classes to go to, and others had work. Leo didn’t stick around long and immediately hi-tailed it out of there. Jason made a mental note to talk to him before he left for the quest.

Jason got up and walked out to the Big House’s patio holding Piper’s hand.  A cool breeze passed by, and Jason felt his headache dulling. 

“So, Nico, huh?” Piper started. Jason stopped them on the porch as Will Solace rushed by to get back to teaching archery classes. 

“No matter what lyre we're going after, we’re going to need to find Apollo to get information about either. Nico’s shadow travel will be useful.”

“You’ve got a plan all worked out?”

“Yup,” Jason smiled as he spotted Percy making his way towards the arena. “And it starts out with a favor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m a bit nervous posting this since it’ll be my first published multichapter fanfiction since 2010ish, but I’d still appreciate comments, criticism, and concerns. You can also find me on [tumblr](http://billyxkaplan.tumblr.com/).
> 
> Next Chapter title: II. Jason. A Wild Ride and an Unhelpful God. Jason talks to Leo and Percy; not in that order. He also enacts his plan to find Nico, and, well, it may work a little too well.


	2. II. Jason. A Wild Ride and an Unhelpful God

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason talks to Leo and Percy; not in that order. He also enacts his plan to find Nico, and, well, it may work a little too well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s chapter two! I’m sorry for the long wait, and I didn’t expect this update to take so long. Not only is this chapter double the size of the first, but I also started a new stable income job inbetween chapters. Because of the new changes, it halted my writing progress a bit, but I hope I have more of a handle on life to make chapter three a speedier update. Fingers crossed.
> 
> Something that helped me write this chapter was the google docs app. I ride public transit every day for work, so I was able to type a large percentage of this fic on my phone. Three hurrahs for multitasking.

Jason walked a dog before. Well, kind of. He used to accompany Reyna when she walked her dogs Aurum and Argentum back when Jason served for the legion. Dealing with a tamed hellhound the size of a tank shouldn’t be much harder.

“I’ll be back soon. It’s probably better if I remove talk to Nico by myself.”

“You sure about that?” Piper’s eyebrows furrowed. “Nico’s really prickly sometimes. Well, most the time. My charmspeak could help calm him down.”

Jason shook his head no immediately. Charmspeak was one of the most powerful assets a demigod could have, but it felt wrong to use outside of battle. It was a betrayal of trust, and he hoped Piper understood that. Jason didn’t want to _make_ Nico go with them. It had to be his decision alone. The situation between them was tenuous, and he didn’t want the fragile string of trust to snap. 

“No, I can handle it. Trust me.”

“Well, then good luck. Do you want me to pack your bag too while you’re gone?”

“You’re a life saver,” Jason smiled and pecked her on the cheek. Piper rolled her eyes with a smile on her lips. When she turned away, she left some of her honeysuckle scent behind. It was a little mesmerizing. 

Eventually, Jason realized he was standing there staring at nothing. Being with Piper left him befuddled sometimes. In the past, he worried about her charmspeaking him, but he trusted that she wouldn’t do that to him. It still cropped up like a nagging worry from time to time, but Jason chalked it up to his intimidation of how powerful Piper had become. She had grown so much confidence in the past year, and her fighting prowess from hours of practice turned top-notch. Piper would’ve been a great legionnaire, but she seemed content staying at Camp Half-Blood. 

Jason shook his head and headed to the arena.

Thankfully, a class wasn’t in session. Percy sat on the ground in the middle of the arena talking with Grover. Mrs. O’Leary, his personal pet hellhound, sat behind him as he stroked behind her ears.

“So, when are you leaving?” said Grover. Jason knew the guy was technically almost thirty, but he looked Percy’s age. That didn’t stop the satyr from pouting like a five year old who found out Santa doesn’t exist.

“I don’t know,” sighed Percy. “It’s not even official yet. I still have to talk to Reyna about it. And then, like, ten million other people including _Octavian_.”

“He can’t stop you, can he?”

“No. He couldn’t stop me the first time.”

“Hey, guys!” Jason called out so that he couldn’t eavesdrop any longer. Information was crucial, but this didn’t sound like it had anything to do with him. He had enough of hearing people’s secrets unsolicited. 

“Oh, hey, Jason,” said Grover. “What’s up?”

“Oh, I just needed a small favor,” Jason turned towards Percy. “Can I borrow Mrs. O’Leary?”

Mrs. O’Leary poked her head up at her name and wagged her tail. The thumps echoed through the stadium like gunshots. 

“What d’you need Mrs. O’Leary for? You don’t plan to try and take her on your quest, do you?”

“I just need to borrow her for thirty minutes. An hour, tops.”

“Are you going to...? Oh,” Percy leaned back. “Huh, I never thought of using her to find him.”

“It’s the most convenient,” shrugged Jason. “It’s also kind of privacy-invading, so I never tried before now.”

“True,” said Percy, but a small unsure frown graced his lips.

“So, can I borrow her? Don’t worry; I’m great with dogs.”

Percy laughed. “Sure you are. But, it’s not really my decision to make.”

“It’s not?” 

Grover scoffed, and he and Percy exchanged looks like they were in on an inside joke. Jason couldn’t fault them that much. He hadn’t known Grover for long, but he knew the satyr had first dibs to Percy’s BFF title. 

“Nope. It’s Mrs. O’Leary’s decision to make. If you’re just going to be quick, then I say okay. Just convince her,” Percy pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. “And you’re all set.”

Percy got up and dusted his tattered jeans. At the movement, Mrs. O’Leary got excited and stood up. She was a lot bigger than Jason remembered. At least her tail wasn’t thumping the ground so hard the earth quaked anymore.

“Here girl,” said Jason, and he let out a short whistle for good measure. Her tail swept behind her as she approached him and sniffed. If he didn’t have mastery over the winds, then the force of her sniffing might have knocked him around.

“Uh, she’s not going to decide I’m an enemy and try to maul me, is she?”

“Nah,” said Percy. “She’s pretty friendly.”

“Too friendly,” grimaced Grover.

Sure enough, Mrs. O’Leary decided he wasn’t an enemy and licked his face. Jason was going to need another shower as she prodded him with her head. He stepped to the side so that he could stroke the back of her neck.

“Huh, she really likes you,” said Percy as he came over and scratched beside Mrs. O’Leary’s ears. “I was a little worried she might not.”

“I thought you said she’s pretty friendly?”

“She is,” agreed Grover, but he didn’t move any closer and kept a good five feet of distance between himself and Mrs. O’Leary. 

“Yeah. I just wasn’t a hundred percent sure if she’d like you right away since you’re, like, the opposite of the underworld. You’re all sky, high-and-mighty, Jason Grace.”

“High-and-mighty?”

“Your godly parentage.”

“Right.”

Mrs. O’Leary barked. It sounded like a canon blast.

“So, how do you shadow travel with her?”

“Just tell her where you need to go. She’s really smart and will understand you. Uh, it’s better if you ride her, I think.”

“You think?”

“Well, I’ve only done it a couple times. Nico was the one who showed me how to do it, and he didn’t leave an instruction manual laying around.”

At the word “Nico,” Mrs. O’Leary’s ears perked up and she barked some more. Her tail wagged harder and _Bam-Bam-Bammed_ against the ground.

“I’m guessing she likes Nico?”

“He’s a son of Hades and frequents the underworld. Nico’s probably her favorite person. Plus, I caught him playing fetch with her a couple times,” Percy’s smile fell. “He seemed to like her, but I don’t think he’s been around ever since the Gaea business went down.”

“Oh,” Jason turned to Mrs. O’Leary. “Say, girl, do you want to see Nico again?”

Mrs. O’Leary barked some more. Some slobber dripped onto the ground to make giant gooey puddles. 

“Let’s go see him,” said Jason. The air carried him so he could perch on top of Mrs. O’Leary. Riding bareback was pretty uncomfortable, but Jason adjusted himself as best he could. He stroked the thick hairs of Mrs. O’Leary’s neck. “Let’s go to Nico... Wherever that is.”

“Good luck,” called out Percy. Grover waved good-bye.

Mrs. O’Leary let out another bark before darting forward. When she was close to the stands, Mrs. O’Leary melted into the shadows and took Jason along for the ride.

Jason had side-along shadow travelled twice. In his opinion, it was two times too many. He used to think walking through the underground was the worst, but shadow travel proved to be a worthy contendor. It was like a rollercoaster of darkness, but Jason didn’t have anything securing him to his seat. 

Despite being able to fly at high speeds, Jason couldn’t equate flying and shadow travel to the same level. At least he was in control when he flew, and he could see the expanse of land below and sky above. Shadow travel was nothing but fast paced inkblack darkness. 

Suddenly, the shadows melted, and Mrs. O’Leary trotted to a quick stop. Jason used the air to stop himself from being flung off. Several loud _bangs_ , _snaps_ , and _cracks_ put Jason on high alert in case they were standing in the middle of a battlefield.

When Jason took in his surroundings, he realized Mrs. O’Leary broke a living room. 

It was probably a nice living room before she snapped most of the furniture in half by sitting on it. The walls and curtains looked fresh, and it smelled like lemons. Sunlight gleamed through the translucent curtains, so Jason figured they weren’t in the underworld. Mrs. O’Leary licked the ground in excitement.

The ground protested.

“Get-- off--!”

Mrs. O’Leary pinned Nico down and was trying to lick his face off. Jason flew and landed next of her. 

“Down, girl!” He waved his arms to get her attention. Eventually, she backed off and crouched down which crushed even more furniture. Jason was just glad she wasn’t crushing Nico anymore. 

“Nice to see you, too,” mumbled Nico when he sat up. Nico pressed his bangs back to properly look at Mrs. O’Leary dozing off. His hair was longer and curled at his shoulders, but it was still as messy and wavy as Jason remembered. He looked like he had just woken up, but that may have been the perpetual heavy bags under his eyes.

“Uh,” started Jason. “Sorry I landed on you.”

Nico’s shoulders hunched at the sound, and he whipped his head up to see Jason scratching the back of his neck.

“What are you doing here?” Nico pushed himself up so that he could stand, but he still had to crane his neck to stare directly into Jason’s face. “I would ask _how_ you got here, but that answer is obvious.”

“I’m sorry about all,” Jason gestured to the entire room, “ _this_. I didn’t expect... well, I don’t know what I expected. I’ll help fix this, if you want.”

“It’s fine,” replied Nico in a dry tone. “What are you doing here?”

Well, the good news was that despite his rambunctious arrival, Nico didn’t seem all that angry with him. A little annoyed, but not angry.

“Well, I came here to proposition you.”

“A proposition?”

“I’m leading a quest, and I want you to accompany me and Piper on it.”

Nico furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at Jason. 

“Is this for Camp Half-Blood?”

Jason nodded.

“Then, no thanks,” Nico crossed his arms. “I know there’s no real rules about these things, but you should probably take a camper with you instead of an outsider.”

“None of the campers have your skill set,” started Jason. He ignored the outsider comment for now. “Well, a few of the kids in the Hecate cabin show signs of being able to shadow travel, but they’re not good at it yet since there’s no one around to teach them.”

Nico dropped eye contact to stare at the slumbering Mrs. O’Leary.

“What kind of quest is this? Another transport mission?” asked Nico.

“No. But it is another ‘saving the world’ kind of quest.”

Nico sighed and dropped his arms to his sides.

“Fine. Tell me about it.”

“Yeah, sure,” Jason looked around. “Is there anywhere to sit that hasn’t been destroyed? It’s kind of a lot to talk about.”

“We can walk down to sit by the pool,” Nico gestured to a door. “I like to sit there sometimes.”

“Where are we anyway? Is this your house?”

“No, it’s a hotel,” Nico patted Mrs. O’Leary. “We’ll be right back, girl,” he whispered to her.

“Wait, a hotel?” Jason’s stomach dropped. “They’re going to charge you a fortune for these damages.”

“It’ll fix itself when we leave. Like I said, it’s fine.” 

Jason didn’t understand what Nico meant by that, but he followed Nico out the door. Sure enough, Jason recognized this was a hotel just by the carpet in the corridor. According to the number outside the door, they were on the thirteenth floor. 

They took the elevator. During the smooth ride down Jason wondered why Nico was staying in a hotel. It never occurred to him to think about where he lived. The only thing he knew was that the guy absolutely refused to go back to his lonely cabin at Camp Half-Blood.

“Do you live here?”

“For the past month,” said Nico, but he didn’t elaborate. The elevator dinged, and the doors opened to an expansive fully-furnished lobby. It was empty except for a woman behind the main desk. She was translucent.

“She’s a lar,” realized Jason. He raised his eyebrows at Nico who didn’t stop leading them through the lobby to a section with windows for walls.

“That’s Adrianna,” Nico nodded and waved when she waved at them. “She works weekends. A little chatty sometimes, but she tells interesting stories, at least.”

They exited to a small enclosing. The pool didn’t look like a pool. It looked more like a pond with really clean water. Rocks adorned the outside, and tall trees created a nice shade from the sun.

The poolsides were empty, but two naiads splashed each other in the deep end. One of them saw Jason looking and whispered something to her friend. Then they turned and waved at Jason. The sound of their giggling made Jason's cheeks burn scarlet, so he sat down facing away from them. Nico perched on a different seat.

“Imogene and Celia have been here longer than I have," said Nico as he gave the naiads a cursory glance. He could hear a couple “heys” from behind him as Nico waved towards them. “I think Imogene is single if you're interested." 

"Uh, I'm dating Piper. Still.”

“Oh, okay,” nodded Nico. He tapped his fingers against the lounge chair. "So, what's threatening the end of the world this time?"

"Ouranos."

"That..." Nico trailed off. "What does he want? Or is it the usual 'all life must perish' kind of thing?"

"He says he wants to be put to sleep like Gaea had been. Or so he says."

"You don't trust him?"

"Gods are pretty wishy-washy," Jason paused to give an apologetic look to the sky. “Plus, Ouranos doesn’t have the most cheerful background.”

Nico nodded. “Ouranos is a protogenoi; one of the first beings in creation. One of his only notable contributions was throwing some of his children into Tartarus. His reasoning was that they were too ugly. It’s weird to think about, but Gaea was actually really upset about it. She loved her children.”

Jason didn’t remember that part, but nodded anyway. He knew Gaea handed her son, Kronos, the scythe that cut Ouranos to pieces, but he didn’t know that it was out of grief. It was hard to think of Gaea as a grieving mother.

“Kronos chopped him up, and Aphrodite was born from, uh, some parts of him. After that, he doesn’t pop up again.”

“Yeah, that about sums it up,” smiled Jason. He appreciated Nico’s encyclopedic knowledge of the gods’ history since it was useful on quests. Jason spent his entire life raised in Camp Jupiter, but even he didn’t have the recall Nico did. 

“So, he just appeared at the camp?”

“Yeah. It was the middle of the night, last night, when he appeared in the Zeus cabin.”

“Wait, he came to you specifically?”

“Yeah, but he said it was because I was a child of the sky. It wasn’t a big deal,” shrugged Jason. “But, since I spoke to him directly, everyone else thought I should lead the quest.”

“Everyone else?”

“We had a meeting a little while ago. All the camp counselors that were available attended. We talked it over, and Rachel gave me a prophecy.”

“What was the prophecy?”

Jason wished he could say he didn’t remember, but he didn’t want to lie to Nico. The prophecy burned clear in Jason’s memory just like his SPQR tattoo. He recited the entire thing with ease:

“ _Beware the traitor and the darkest night / Lyre reborn can solve the sky's plight. Your trail grows cold without hunter's hands / In the new world is where the relic stands.You will fail both your labors and your friends / And gain what you wanted most in the end.”_

Nico’s face was smoother than the pool’s surface as he listened to Jason recite the prophecy, but his foot twitched with nervous energy.

"The prophecy doesn't sound hopeful," stated Nico. He didn't shrug or smile or add a “Don't worry it'll be fine!" At the end.

"It doesn't," agreed Jason.

"And you need me for my... skills. Why?"

"Fast travel is extremely helpful on quests. We have no set deadline except a god’s whim which means we need to do it as fast as possible. You transported a giant statue, yourself, and two others halfway across the world. I have no doubt you can transport yourself and two others to a couple of spots, maximum."

"Quests aren't exactly straightforward. It'll be more than a couple spots."

"Are you saying you wouldn't be able to do it?"

"No," Nico frowned. "I can do it. I just think you're underestimating how long this might take."

"So you'll join us?"

Nico looked out to the pool. He was still frowning.

"Why didn't you ask my sister to do it? She's completely capable of shadow traveling. Aren't Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter working together now?"

"We're tentative allies, but we're still different camps. I can't just swipe campers from the legion without people getting the wrong impression of the terms of our alliance." 

Jason wished the transition to allies would be smoother, but Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter still had a lot to work through. 

Camp Half-Blood was much smaller and less well trained than Camp Jupiter. It also functioned more like a mortal camp would. There also wasn’t an entire city on its outskirts with a highly developed demigod community. Because of that, it was more open to change and growth. 

Camp Jupiter, on the other hand, had decades of stringent tradition. They didn’t even welcome Jason’s lobby for changing the name of the twelfth legion to the first legion. He almost turned the entire senate against him with that suggestion. 

The alliance was a land mine topic, and Jason didn’t want to step a toe anywhere near the tolerance line. 

“So,” continued Jason with a heavy sigh. “I can't take Hazel or anyone else in the legion I might've wanted.”

"Like Reyna?"

"She's a praetor," frowned Jason. "She's on an extra special ‘can't take’ list."

"So, I'm your last option."

"You were my first choice. Well, Piper volunteered herself before I thought of who to take, so maybe you're actually second. You guys just happened to be the best choices, too."

Nico's frown became less pronounced until he adopted a neutral resting face.

“Look, I know you see yourself as an outsider,” started Jason in a slow tone. He didn’t want to mess up with Nico like he did those times he tried to connect with him on the Argo II. “But, it doesn’t matter if you’re a camper or not. It just matters about whether you want to help save the world. I know you _do_ care or you wouldn’t have done everything you did on the quest to defeat Gaea. So, if there’s anything that I can do to make you feel comfortable about doing this, then say it, and I’ll get it done.”

"I wouldn't mind accompanying you and Piper on this quest," Nico started. His voice was quiet, but held strong. "But, I don't want anymore speeches about coming back to either camp from you. I'll do this as an ally, but not as a camper."

"Fine," Jason sighed. "I promise I won't."

"Swear it on the River Styx."

"Fine, I swear it on the River Styx," said Jason without hesitation. The sky rumbled above, and Jason gave it a quick "chill out" glare. He turned back to Nico with a raised brow. "Was that really necessary? I'm good on my word." 

"The last time someone promised me something without the oath, my father went back on his promise. It caused Percy to brand me as a traitor," Nico looked like he had eaten something sour. "I'm not making that mistake again."

 _Beware the traitor and the darkest night._ A shiver ran down Jason's spine, but he ignored it to focus on what Nico told him. Jason remembered Percy telling him about that, but it sounded like a completely different story from Nico's point of view.

"So, do you have a plan about how you’re going to put Ouranos to sleep?”

"Yeah. I’m pretty sure the line, ‘ _Your trail grows cold without hunter's hands’_ is talking about the Hunters of Artemis. Plus, Thalia taught me a way to track the hunters if I ever needed her."

"Thalia... I keep forgetting she's your sister. You guys look nothing alike,” Nico shook his head. “And this ‘lyre reborn’ business... I’m guessing that’s what you’re going to try to track down with the hunter’s help?”

“Yes. We talked it over at the meeting. Apollo has a powerful lyre that can do anything, but according to Will Solace-- he’s the Apollo cabin head counselor-- Apollo doesn’t lend it out to demigods anymore.”

“I know who Will Solace is. Anyway, Apollo’s lyre wouldn’t be something reborn like the prophecy says,” said Nico with a twinge of uncertainty. “The only other lyre I can think of powerful enough to put someone like Ouranos to sleep is Orpheus’ lyre.”

“Yeah, that was the second option Annabeth came up with.”

“The muses carried his lyre and placed it among the stars,” Nico recounted. “But, like all things it could have reincarnated into a mortal form again.”

“The muses carried his lyre up?” Jason didn’t remember that fact either.

“Yeah,” Nico looked uncomfortable. “They also gathered up the last bits of Orpheus and buried him below Mount Olympus.”

“The last bits of Orpheus?” Jason furrowed his eyebrows. “Did Orpheus get chopped up, too? I don’t actually remember how he died.”

“It doesn’t matter,” said Nico quickly. “What matters is that the muses are the ones who probably know if Orpheus’ lyre was reborn.”

“That makes this easier,” Jason nodded. “The muses are companions to Apollo. I can find the hunters trail, but I need you to help us follow it. And, I hope that between my relation to Thalia and Piper being a girl that Artemis would be willing to help us find Apollo.”

"She'll probably want something in return."

"We'll deal with that when we get there.”

"Sounds like a good plan for now," nodded Nico, but then he frowned again. "I have a small issue though."

"What is it?"

"It's nothing big; I just need to talk to my father or I can't leave."

Jason raised his eyebrows but didn't comment. Out of any demigod he could think of, Nico was the one in the most contact with his godly parent. He was an advisor to his father. This quest would probably take him away from a lot of important duties.

"That's fine. Do you want to do it now?"

"Well, there's no other option," Nico sat up and walked back into the lobby at a brisk pace. For someone considerably shorter, Nico sure did have a fast stride.

“Adrianna,” Nico called out to the receptionist when they reentered the main lobby. She smiled wide to show a perfect set of white teeth. "Can you get my father here? I need to leave."

Adrianna’s smile plummeted. 

"Nico, your father had very specific instructions about your stay--"

"I've been called for a quest," Nico interrupted. "I'm sorry, but I really need you to get him here."

"Alright," said Adrianna, but she didn't look happy about it. In a blink she vanished.

"Your father put you here?" guessed Jason.

"Yeah," said Nico. His frown deepened into an ugly glare. "He has a nasty habit of dumping me in hotels without asking for my opinion first."

Jason furrowed his eyebrows. Before he could ask what was going on, shadows grew and morphed until the image of Hades, The Lord of the Dead, bled into the lobby. The darkness bowed around him.

Jason had never seen Hades in the mortal world. He was as tall as a corn stalk, but less than half it's width. All color and vibrancy was devoid from his features. Hades resembled a black-and-white 40s moviestar in a technicolor world.

"I hope this isn't a social call," Hades smoothed out his vest. "Or another half-baked scheme to leave.

"I _am_ requesting leave, but it's not a scheme," Nico gestured to Jason. “I’m needed on a quest.”

"Is that so?" 

"Yes, my lord,” Jason bowed his head in deference. He wasn't sure what was going on, but it was always prudent to show a god respect. Their temper tantrums usually led to the annihilation of entire civilizations. ”We have need of his skills."

Jason could feel Hades’ eyes on him. The room grew colder and the lights dimmed. Faint whispers tickled Jason’s ears, but he couldn’t make them out. That didn’t stop his heart from racing or his stomach from churning wildly.

He didn't know if he could stand at attention any longer, but thankfully Hades snapped his eyes back to his son.

"You want to go on a quest for Camp Half-Blood?"

"I want to help," corrected Nico. 

Hades kept silent as he gazed at his son. Jason wondered if his stare was as potent with nighmare fuel for Nico as it was for Jason. 

"Fine," Hades tilted his head. "I'll allow this." Hades snapped his fingers at Adrianna. She jolted forward and picked up what looked like a black ipad. Her fingers zipped and poked the surface faster than Jason thought possible. 

“We packed your belongings upstairs,” said Adrianna with a nervous smile.

"Fine," Nico crossed his arms. "Jason, let's go."

Jason nodded, but only stepped forward once before Hades spoke up.

"Wait a moment, son of Jupiter. I want to have a word with you before you go."

Nico halted and gave his father a wary glance. 

"It'll be fine," reassured Jason. Of course, he was completely terrified of Nico leaving him alone with his father, but Jason wasn't going to show it. 

"You're not going to try to zap him are you?"

"No. It wouldn't be prudent to zap the esteemed quest leader, would it?"

Jason tried to hold down his budding alarm. He heard from Percy that Hades wasn't receptive or even nice to demigod heroes.

"Swear it. On the Styx."

"Yes, yes, I swear,” sighed Hades. Nico headed into the elevator but gave his father one last glance. He looked pretty intimidating as the doors closed, and the elevator dinged.

"I can't say anything without him making a spectacle if it," grumbled Hades. "It won't end well for him if he makes everyone swear over every little thing. Some promises just can't be kept."

Jason thought that Hades not zapping him shouldn't be a hard promise to keep, but he kept that to himself.

“So, son of Jupiter... Now you’ve gotten to meet my grandfather as well as my grandmother. You sure are a lucky demigod, aren’t you?”

“I try not to push my luck,” tried Jason. He wasn’t surprised Hades knew about Ouranos. The man wasn’t a man at all; he was a god. “No offense, but I’d rather not get to know my great-grandparents.” 

“They were pretty terrible,” admitted Hades with a shrug. His suit shimmered in the light, and Jason’s stomach plummeted. Contorted faces of agony rippled and shimmered as he moved. He wondered what those people did to piss off The Lord of the Dead enough to turn them into a suit of anguish.

“So, what did you wish to speak with me, my lord?”

“There you go again with that, ‘my lord’ business,” Hades waved and gestured at Jason. “Courtesy, I guess. It’s a little refreshing, to be honest.”

“I try to respect those who deserve it.”

“And here I heard from the grapevine that you were an upstart towards Hera. I guess you can’t believe all the frivolous rumors the Olympians like to whisper to Hermes.”

Jason tried to keep a pokerface, but his cheeks burned in embarrassment. He was always told to be respectful to the gods if he ever met them, but he found that he didn’t have much patience for his godly stepmother and patron. It was true that she helped gather the seven to stop Gaea, but she was also responsible for separating his family. 

Sometimes in the dead hours of night, Jason wondered what kind of person he would be if Hera never took him away. He wondered what kind of relationship he would have with Thalia and his mother. Sometimes, he even dreamed about the three of them as a perfect family. There were no problems. No alcohol. No runaway teens. No Hera to snatch him away. No Zeus or Jupiter and none of them cared that he wasn’t there. No training to defeat monsters and become a hero of Rome. 

Those dreams always left him waking up with tear tracks staining his cheeks and a cold numbness in his chest.  

It didn’t help that Hera visited Jason after he officially resigned as Praetor in front of the senate and moved to Camp Half-Blood for good. Her anger shook the Zeus cabin.

He had been surprised at her outburst, and still didn’t understand why it bothered her so much that he wanted to stay. She hadn’t talked to him since then. Jason considered that a tiny victory.

“Well, a little courtesy isn’t bad; especially not in a son of Jupiter. Arrogance is a strong trait in that line of the family. You all think you’re the biggest and strongest and can do every little thing. Positively annoying. Most of you are doomed to fall under the large plate you’ve picked up,” smirked Hades. He looked like he was enjoying the image of the Lord of the Sky’s children dying at their own expense the way most people would smile at youtube videos of kittens.

“Thank you for the words of advice,” said Jason. He kept the grumbling to a minimum. 

“Yes, well, I can only hope that you don’t fall on this quest,” Hades smile fell and his gaunt features became more pronounced. “There are no songs about Ouranos, or epics about his escapades, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t dangerous. My grandfather is as cruel as my father if not more. At least Kronos ate us to retain power. Ouranos casted his children into darkness for being ugly. He would have killed them if he could, and he did not care for his wife’s grief for their children. No love filled him. He was as empty as a clear sky.”

Jason thought back to his meeting with Ouranos. They didn’t speak for long, but he called Gaea ‘his beloved.’ He wondered if that was a title only, or if Ouranos truly meant his words. The idea that he didn’t mean the words he spoke, especially some as intimate and personal as those, made Jason feel queasy. It made him wonder how Aphrodite could be born from him if he was as empty as Hades claimed. 

“Heed my words, hero. Ouranos is not to be trusted no matter how affable he appears to you. None of the Olympians would go down quietly. The one who helped start us all will not either.”

“I understand,” nodded Jason. 

“Good,” Hades’ thin lips tugged into a smile as he gestured upwards. “Then also understand that I have allowed you to take one of my children on your quest, and I do not want to have to greet them in the underworld. The House of Hades has not been highly recognized in the past. In the last two wars, my children helped garner a minuscule amount of the respect and praise we have long since deserved. I have already lost one child with great potential to Camp Half-Blood’s terrible leadership. If you lose me another, then the darkest corners of Tartarus will look like a bright Elysium for what I’ll do to you. Do not fail me.” 

The smile remained on Hades’ face, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Instead, they twinkled with a malicious glint that made Jason uneasy. He could see an endless darkness in those eyes that contained his greatest nightmares. The words of Ouranos from his dream last night laughed at him from that darkness. _Do not fail me, little demigod_. 

Jason couldn’t find his voice as Hades’ words settled into his chest. He didn’t learn anything knew or helpful, but he still felt like the stakes rose with a single threat.

“I understand,” repeated Jason. He congratulated himself for not stuttering his words like the way his heart was beating rabidly in his chest. 

“Then we have nothing left to discuss,” Hades waved and his form shimmered into wisps of darkness. The growing cold dissipated, and Jason felt his headache from this morning rearing its head. 

Jason trudged his way to the elevator, and several dings later he arrived at the thirteenth floor. 

Nico was down the hall fully equipped. He held his battered leather aviator jacket aloft as he stuffed some bags into an interior pockets. Jason couldn’t tell what was in the bags, but it made him wonder how much he carried in that jacket. It was big enough to smuggle a melon without detection.

Nico’s sword hanged loosely from his belt holster. It was three feet of stygian iron, and the wicked black of the blade emanated darkness. It reminded him of the titan Krios who he had fought during the assault of Mount Othyrys. The Titan wore the metal as armor, and his imperial gold sword/lance combo didn’t even dent it. The darkness it radiated created an aura of unholy nightmare.

Jason also noticed a small dagger sheathed at the back of his belt. It wasn’t something he remembered Nico having when he joined them briefly for their quest against Gaea. Then again, the jacket would have covered the blade. He wondered if the dagger was stygian iron as well. 

Nico was staring at him now with a curious expression. 

That was when Jason realized he had been staring at him the entire time without announcing his presence.

“Uh, your dad left.”

“I can see that,” said Nico in a dry tone. He whipped his jacket around and shrugged it on. “What did he say?”

"He just wanted to make sure I knew Ouranos is a threat."

"That's all?"

"He also threatened me to keep you alive," said Jason with an edge of caution in his voice. "I mean, I already make it my priority to keep everyone alive, so it's not that big a deal."

Nico looked like he thought it was a big deal. 

"He threatened you?"

"He just cares about your well-being, I guess,” Jason shrugged. As far as godly parents went, Jason was pretty sure threatening others was a high sign of care. Of course, He wasn't an expert on godly parents since his father never spoke to him. "I don't hold it against him."

Nico still looked unsettled with his scrunched up frown, but he didn't argue any further.

Jason took the few moments of quiet to debate whether he wanted to ask Nico why his father dumped him in this hotel. It was strange that he needed permission to leave. Nico spoke before he worked up the nerve.

"Adrianna sent Mrs. O’Leary ahead of us. I don't think she'd be up for another trip with you anyway," Nico grimaced. "I'm guessing we go to Camp Half-Blood first?"

"Yeah. It's just to get provisions and pick up Piper. Then we can head out ASAP."

Nico nodded and then pointed at Jason's arm. "I'm going to have to touch you to ensure you come with me. I haven't mastered remote displacement," Nico scowled down at his hands like he considered that a personal failure.

"That's fine," Jason shrugged and held out a hand for Nico to hold. It wasn’t the first time he shadow travelled with Nico, but Jason was pretty sure mentioning anything related to their expedition in Split wouldn't be a good way to kick off this quest. If there’s anything he’s learned about Nico, then it’s that he had to ease into a friendship. Pulling out the “I know your biggest and most agonizing secret” card this early hadn’t worked well for him in the past.

Nico stared down at Jason's hand with a look most people reserved for crossword puzzles. When he finally reached out and grasped Jason's wrist, shadows from the hanging hallway paintings morphed until everything went dark. 

Camp Half-Blood melted into view. Shadows danced under Jason's feet like a flickering fire, but then settled into a dull motionless quiet. 

Nico released Jason's wrist. It gave Jason a moment to take in that Nico planted them at the edge of the cabins under the shade of a few trees. 

"We're here," said Nico. Jason smiled.

"Yup. Let's go get Piper." 

"Uh, maybe I should stay here."

Jason gave Nico a curious glance.

"You could stay here and wait if you want," said Jason. "But, that could be boring. You don't have to interact with anyone if you do come. Your choice."

Nico looked towards the cabins instead of looking at Jason. 

"I guess I could follow," frowned Nico. "Lead the way."

Jason felt like a mother duck as he lead Nico to the Aphrodite cabin since he trailed behind him in his shadow. Jason had to admit he made a pretty decent human shield for Nico.

When they arrived at the Aphrodite cabin, Jason couldn’t help but inhale. It always smelled good, and today it smelled freshly baked apple pie from his favorite bakery in New Rome. It was usually sat out on the main countertop in the early mornings when he passed by on his morning jog. It filled him with warmth as he knocked and opened the door to the cabin.

Jason recognized Lacy and Mitchell playing Uno on one of their beds. Otherwise, the cabin was empty. Those two were nice to Piper when she first got to camp, so Jason had been sure to remember their names. 

"Hey, guys. Is Piper around?"

Mitchell dropped his look of concentration to smile up at Jason.

"You just missed her."

Lacy didn't drop her intense glare at her cards as she laid down a yellow seven.

"She said she'd be back in a sec."

"Oh, I guess we'll wait here then."

"'We'?" Lacy looked up and then her eyes widened. "Oh, Nico, sorry. I didn't see you there."

Jason looked down to notice Nico mostly hiding behind him.

"It's fine."

"Don't worry; Lacy has the spatial awareness of a toddler," teased Mitchell. "That and she never wears her glasses."

Lacy threw a peppermint at him. He didn’t duck in time so it smacked him in the cheek. Mitchell was too busy giggling to care.

“You know how I feel about those _stupid_ glasses. They make my eyes huge and they don’t even fit my face shape! Also, if you take your turn anytime within the next century, that would be nice.”

" _Alright_ , alright,” said Mitchell as his giggle tapered off. He placed a draw four card down, and Lacy groaned.

Jason smiled as he watched the two of them play. They had an easiness to them that he could only describe as best friends. It kind of reminded him of--

"Oh, man," groaned Jason. He almost forgot he planned to talk to Leo before the quest started. He gave Nico an apologetic glance. Nico caught the look and quirked an eyebrow up.

"What?"

"Uh, I need to go talk to someone before we go. Do you mind waiting here for Piper?" 

Nico looked mutinous. 

"You can play Uno with us, Nico," said Mitchell. Lacy dropped her game face to stare at Mitchell for a few seconds with a pensive expression. Then she looked up and hesitantly smiled.

"Yeah. I could always use another ally in taking down Mitchell."

"Hey! Don't gang up on me."

Lacy stuck out her tongue and smiled a full set of braced teeth. Jason turned to Nico and hoped his face conveyed how sorry he was to run off on him so early.

“Will you be okay waiting here?”

"I don't need a baby-sitter," Nico grumbled. He walked up to Mitchell and Lacy while toying with the frayed edges from his large sleeves. "So, how do you play this game?"

Jason smiled as he left Nico with a scandalized Lacy who bemoaned his Uno naiviety and a calm Mitchell who explained the rules. 

Jason darted from the Aphrodite cabin straight to Bunker Nine. There was no point in checking the Hepheastus cabin since Leo barely ever slept there. Jason also knew it would be quicker to fly, so he let the winds take him to where he wanted to go.

His feet padded softly outside Bunker Nine’s door. Jason debated knocking, but realized there was no point. He could hear the bass line of loud music thrumming the earth. There was no way Leo would hear a knock.

Jason enjoyed being able to stretch out with natural light above him, so Bunker Nine made him feel out of place. The refurbished airplane hanger was dark as an underground tunnel, and it gave Jason a claustrophobic feeling. He always pushed down the lump in his throat and the tightness of his shirt collar when he came to visit Leo here.

Speaking of Leo, he was in the back on a pile of scrap heap.He lazed on the glistening celestial gold metal like it was a throne. The gadget in his hands absorbed his attention like a sponge. 

"Leo!" Jason screamed against the music. Leo didn't flinch. The guy just sat there bobbing his head to the beat. Jason quickly went to Leo's ihome dock-- a gift from Piper-- and cranked the music down to nothing.

"Hey!" Leo snapped up and pointed the device towards Jason. "What's the big-- Jason?" Leo dropped his arm and the device made a distinctive clanking sound against the metal below him. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came to talk to you before I head off."

"You're not getting pre-quest jitters are you? Because I am so not qualified for mentoring you."

"No, it's not that. I just came to talk. To you."

"Oh, no," Leo groaned like he found out his favorite fast food joint closed down.

"What?"

"You've got that 'I'm concerned' look on your face,” said Leo as his frown contorted and showed teeth to emphasize his frustration. "I hate that look. You're about to _talk to me_ talk to me, aren't you?"

"I noticed you were a little quiet at the meeting today," said Jason. “And you haven't been to dinner in an entire week. And I noticed you weren't in Chemistry yesterday. I asked around and apparently you weren't at school at all."

"I'm a juvenile delinquent," shrugged Leo. He started messing with the device in his hands again. "It's court official and everything."

"You've been out of it since Calypso left camp."

“Oh, no, not this. Are we really doing this right now?"

"We don't have to do anything now. I just wanted to ask how you were doing. Check in before I check out."

"Why right before you head out on your big epic quest?"

Jason furrowed his eyebrows. He didn't want to go into the details of his dream, but it haunted him. The image of Leo and Piper laughing and talking while ignoring him made his heart hurt. 

Jason wondered if maybe _he_ was the one who was ignoring Leo the past couple months. Calypso was his first girlfriend, and he knew he really cared about her. When they broke up ("It was mutual," Leo had said with a strained grin.), Jason thought the best thing was to give him space. Now he wondered if it was too much space.

"The prophecy made me realize that maybe I haven't been the best friend I could be."

"Dude, you're a great friend. It's a little intimidating actually," sighed Leo and deflated. "I'm just really caught up in a recent project. I'm fine. Don't worry."

Jason wanted to challenge just how fine Leo was, but decided against it. He didn't want to interrogate his best friend. 

"What's the new project?"

“It’s a work in progress,” Leo shrugged, but then he grinned. His face lit up with more intensity than Jason had seen in weeks. “This is the prototype.”

Leo gestured with the device in his hands. It looked like a palm pilot, and Jason realized it was the same device Leo was tinkering with at the meeting. It still had a few wires sticking out.

“Of course, prototype is a strong word. It doesn’t actually do anything. The thing is just a shell for what I want the device to look like,” Leo held the thing with two hands and glared at it. “I’m having trouble with how to make it actually work.”

“What _is_ it?” Jason repeated again. Leo still hadn’t told him what he wanted the thing to do.

“Oh,” Leo furrowed his eyebrows. “Well, you know how demigods and signals don’t mix? Like, wifi or telephones or whatever?”

“Yeah,” Jason nodded. “Is this some sort of phone?”

“Uh, well, kind of? I mean, that was how this whole project started. Piper told me a long time ago about how Chiron has his room coated in celestial bronze. It allowed her to use a signal to contact her dad for a bit. It was still really risky, but whatever.”

“Yeah, I remember that,” Jason nodded and recalled his first Camp Half-Blood quest with himself, Piper, and Leo. Some of the Giants held Piper’s dad captive, and she wanted to check up on him afterwards.

“Anyway, last year I was so busy repairing Festus and building the Argo II that I didn’t have time to do anything else. A couple weeks ago I was flipping through my journal of ideas looking for something to do when I ran into it again.”

Leo gestured to the device.

“When Pipes told me that story, I started getting ideas. The first idea was just a phone that wouldn’t spike our scent, but it’s grown past that. I wanted to make something that circumvents the signal a demigod would send out.”

“How would you cover our smell?”

“By masking it with monster smell or mortal smell,” Leo scratched the back of his neck. “Or straight-up godly smell. We all smell different according to the satyrs I chatted up trying to research this junk. I also tried thinking of a way to make a demigod dead spot where we give off ‘no service’ no matter what, but...” Leo scratched his head. “I actually don’t think celestial bronze will cut it. It’s not good enough to create a dead spot without making an impractical bulky suit of armor for a demigod to wear. Of course, I don’t have a large option of mystical materials to work with. I’ve got celestial bronze and celestial bronze.”

“What about imperial gold?”

“I haven’t been able to get my hands on any of it. I put in a request to Camp Jupiter to acquire some of their reserve, but they haven’t gotten back to me,” Leo scrunched up his face. “No offense, but Romans are bureaucratic dickbags.”

“There’s less imperial gold to harvest than celestial bronze,” said Jason in a mild tone. “They kind of have to be... _bureaucratic dickbags_ about it.”

“I wish I could rummage through my dad’s scrap heap. I bet he has every kind of mystical metal just lying around-- maybe some I didn’t even know exists,” Leo rolled his eyes. “Or maybe I can borrow Hazel and we can go on a metal detecting quest again. Except hopefully with less sexual tension this time around.”

“You and Hazel had...? You know what? No, I’m not going to finish that thought.”

“Come on, she was totally into me when we started the Great Big Quest to Defeat Dirtface.”

Jason shook his head like a wet dog trying to get dry. Leo laughed. It sounded genuine, and he couldn’t help the smile that grew on his own face. He hadn’t spent time with Leo in... Jason couldn’t remember how long it’s been. Apparently, being at the same camp didn’t amount to much if neither of them made the effort to hang out. 

“Don’t you have another big quest to be getting to?”

“Yeah,” Jason looked to the door. “I kind of left Nico at the Aphrodite cabin to wait for Piper.”

“Wow, I take back what I said about you being a great friend. You left him to the _wolves_.”

“They aren’t _that_ bad,” admonished Jason, but a slow dawn of horror was crawling up his back. Nico and love didn’t have the best relationship. Maybe leaving him with two children of _the_ love goddess wasn’t the best decision he could have made.

“Whatever you say,” Leo rolled his eyes. “Now get out of here and save the world.”

“Right,” said Jason with a smile. His heart felt lighter than air, and he turned to leave.

“Hey, Jay,” called out Leo in a soft voice. Jason turned back around to face his best friend, but noticed the thrum of energy was gone. All that was left on Leo’s face was a dull ache of uncertainty, and Jason’s heart felt heavy with lead. “I... Nevermind. Just go.”

“If you have something else you want to say, then it’s fine to say it,” prodded Jason. He hoped his tone was soft and approachable enough for Leo to feel comfortable saying whatever he was thinking.

Leo struggled for a moment. It was odd since Leo always had a way with words. Jason envied him for it.

“Why didn’t you take me on this quest?”

A quiet draped over them as Jason thought over Leo’s words. There was a hunch to Leo’s shoulders like he was legitimately scared of Jason’s response.

“Did you want to go?”

“I would have gone if you had asked.”

“But, did _you_ want to go?”

Leo kept quiet as his eyes turned downcast at the device in his hands. “I... No. Not really. But, you took Piper and someone else, but not me. The three of us? Me, you, and Pipes? We’re kind of a thing. The lost kids. It just felt a little... I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m saying. Just ignore me and go.”

“I didn’t take you because I didn’t think you wanted to go,” said Jason as he walked towards Leo until there wasn’t much space dividing them. He slumped down so he didn’t tower over his friend so much. That caught Leo’s attention enough to lift his large brown eyes up. “Leo, you’re not a soldier under my command that I’ll order around. You’re my best friend. I don’t want to make you do things you don’t want to do just for my sake.”

“I’m just over-thinking things,” Leo rubbed his face like he was trying to claw his feelings out. “Been doing that a lot lately. I guess I might be a little, y’know. Off.”

“You’re not over-thinking things,” said Jason. A gnawing sense of uncertainty settled into Jason’s stomach. He knew Leo wouldn’t have enjoyed going on the quest, but now he’s wondering whether he should have tried including Leo in the meeting more. Jason could have asked, at the least, if Leo wanted to go before making a decision immediately in front of everyone. He could have at least acknowledged Leo’s presence instead of focusing on so-called “important” matters.

Great. Jason hadn’t started the quest yet, and he was already failing his friends.

“Go save the world, superman. Ole Jimmy Olsen’s got some tinkering to do,” smiled Leo. It looked brittle under the workshop lights, but he turned to crank the music back up and sit at a workbench. 

Jason couldn’t think of what else to say, so he left with his heart pounding as hard as the bass line. 

When he arrived at the Aphrodite cabin again, Jason found that Piper had returned. Her clothes were different than this morning; now she wore a heavy jacket with more pockets than necessary and tattered jeans that had seen better days. Her orange Camp Half-Blood shirt remained as well as her pulled-back hair. 

Piper stood next to her bed with her arms crossed and a hip jutted out. Despite the stance, her lips were tilted in a playful manner. 

Nico was standing across from her in a ramrod straight standing position. His hair swept up and shadowed most of his face, but he looked neutral as Piper told him something. Well, at least they looked like they were kind of getting along. 

“Hey, guys!” Jason approached them. He noticed Mitchell and Lacy were gone, but Uno cards and peppermints were still scattered on one of their bedspreads. “Sorry it took me so long.”

“It’s fine. I only just got here. I went to talk to Mr. D about something, but he wasn’t helpful at all,” Piper picked up a bag that had been on her bed and tossed it at him. Jason hoped they didn’t notice him fumble the bag before gripping it tight. “I hope I packed enough.”

“Thank you,” Jason saddled the bag onto one shoulder. He fought the urge to survey his inventory and what Piper decided to pack for him. It was a habit instilled on him in the legion, but it seemed like bad faith to check in front of her if she packed everything he needed. “What did you see Mr. D about?”

“Well, while I was packing I was thinking about Orpheus’ lyre, and everything I read about Orpheus with my dad. I remembered that the muses were the ones who carried it to the sky. I figured I would ask Mr. D about it, but he refused to help.”

“Why’d you ask him?”

“Because the Muses show up at olympian parties,” pointed out Nico.

“Yeah,” Piper nodded. She gave him a neutral cursory glance. “And Mr. D is _the_ party god.”

“Did he say anything specific?”

“No. He just kept saying that the muses could be found anywhere just like inspiration. He sounded like a fortune cookie,” Piper sighed and shook her head. “Annabeth always warned me that he was downright unhelpful, but I would’ve thought he’d at least give me something more to go off of.”

“It was a good try,” said Nico. She smiled at him from the praise, and he resolutely looked away with red tinged ears.

Piper finally put her own backpack on. It sat perfectly on her shoulders, and she looked ready to go on a friendly hike and picnic. Then she picked up her sword. It was imperial gold; a rare sight in Camp Half-Blood. Hazel had gotten it for Piper during their quest to stop Gaea. Jason had no idea where Hazel had gotten the sword. It could’ve been an extra she had laying around, or she could have summoned it all the way from Camp Jupiter. Either way, Piper kept the weapon and cleaned it regularly with pride. Jason wondered if Katoptris, the weapon she received when she arrived at Camp Half-Blood, was sheathed in her jacket. 

Jason saw Nico eye the blade as well with a curious expression before popping a peppermint into his mouth. He froze for a moment when he looked over to see Jason staring at him.

“Is everyone ready _now_?” urged Nico with one raised eyebrow. There was a challenge to his voice that made Jason’s neck feel hot. He hoped Nico wouldn’t begrudge Jason for leaving him alone with Mitchell and Lacy. 

“I’m ready to go,” said Jason with a shaky smile. 

“Then let’s save the world again,” smirked Piper.

“Lead the way,” said Nico as he gestured at Jason. Jason gave the two a last look before heading out of the Aphrodite cabin with his two quest-mates in tow. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I appreciate comments, criticism, and concerns. You can also find me on [tumblr](http://billyxkaplan.tumblr.com/).
> 
> Next Chapter title: III. Piper. Piper Becomes Snow White. Say good-bye to Jason’s point of view for this story (but not forever); it’s time to see what the lovely Piper Mclean thinks. Next time the quest picks up, and the Hunters of Artemis appear. Piper is a disney princess accompanied by her companions Doc and Grumpy.


	3. III. Piper. Piper Becomes Snow White

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hunters of Artemis appear, and the questers go through their first labor to complete their quest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s part three! Blood of Olympus has come out by the time this is published, but I will not be changing plot details to fit with the book. I started this fic knowing that certain elements will inevitably be jossed by the final book, and I am going to finish it keeping that in mind. I am laughing at a few details in the book that work well with what I have planned, but my main point again: **this story is non-canon compliant with BoO**. Of course, some lines may be fudged to seem inclusive with the book, but otherwise I have kept it as a divergence from canon.

Piper looked forward to seeing the Hunters of Artemis again. She’s met them once before, but they were not accompanied by their patron goddess. In the myths, Artemis was a fully certified badass. She couldn’t wait to talk to her. ****

Piper hiked alongside Jason down Camp Half-Blood’s hill. His sharp sky blue eyes looked calm, but Piper had a feeling it was a ruse. He had a tendency to bottle and hide his feelings away. They were dating for more than half a year now, but he still had trouble fully opening up to her.

Nico di Angelo trailed behind them. It surprised Piper to find him playing Uno in her cabin with Lacy and Mitchell. Unfortunately, they headed out to go play a pre-scheduled volleyball match with some Hecate kids. That left her alone with Nico.

Piper wasn’t scared of him, but he did make her uneasy. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she could tell he was hiding something. One time, Piper told this to Jason, but he loudly vouched that Nico was trustworthy. Reyna said the same thing the last time she talked to her new friend. 

Piper put it to rest until Drew told her something about charmspeak users.

A few weeks ago, Piper watched Drew charmspeak a guy who was hitting on her into stripping and running into the Artemis cabin. It took a few of his cabinmates to drag him out before Artemis herself appeared to zap him out. When Piper asked why she did that, Drew fixed her with a focused look.

“Word to the wise, Mclean: charmspeak users are more than just the pretty words we speak. We’re also the words we _hear_. If you concentrate hard enough, you can hear what people mean when they talk, and if they’re lying. A true charmspeak master can hear what their enemy is thinking, and crush them with those thoughts.”

Piper let that marinate in her thoughts over the next couple of days. She wondered if Drew knew about the ultimatum Piper received about her dad. It would explain how Drew targeted her immediately.

So, Piper was fairly sure her thoughts of unease about Nico meant something.

That didn’t stop her from trying to strike a conversation with him today. While she had a vague feeling he was hiding something, she could also sense that he didn’t have malicious intentions. Plus, they would be going on a quest together. It would make sense to try to get along with him.

Unfortunately, short sentences and a lot of awkward silences filled their conversation. Eventually, Piper settled for describing her conversation with Mr. D in great detail to pad for time until Jason got back. 

Now that they were all together, Piper hoped they would make a good team. She’s worked with Jason in the past, and she’s seen the way he’s led quests. He’ll be great. Nico was an extremely powerful demigod, and Jason was right about shadow travel being useful. Piper just hoped she’d be able to stand up next to them. They were a son of Jupiter and a son of Hades, after all. How well does a daughter of Aphrodite measure next to those two? The thought made her frown.

“So, how does this tracking thing work?” addressed Nico behind them. Jason slowed his walk as he pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket until he stopped. Piper copied him. She noticed that Jason had a glazed look about his eyes.

“She’s in New Jersey, I think.”

“What?” Piper watched as Jason stared off into the horizon. He wasn’t doing anything impressive.

“Anywhere more specific?” asked Nico. “New Jersey is a big place.” 

“I’m trying to pick up where exactly. There’s a lot in the way,” said Jason as he squinted his eyes. His fists tightened and whatever was in his hand crumpled. “I only practiced short distance when Thalia first taught it to me.”

“It’s okay, take your time,” Piper eased charmspeak into her words since Jason was starting to look frustrated. The furrow of his brow lessened.

“Well, if you can’t get more specific,” trailed off Nico. Now he was the one glaring at the horizon. “I can probably get close to them anyway.”

“How are you going to do that?” Piper raised an eyebrow at him.

“I have an ability that can allow me to pinpoint any person, but it’s not ideal.”

“Not ideal?” Jason stopped concentrating to tilt his head towards him. Nico raised a hand to flatten his bangs that covered his eyes. She saw his dark eye stare off to the side.

“I’ll probably be close to passing out when we get there.” 

“If we run into monsters, we’ll protect you if you’re tired,” said Jason. Nico didn’t look convinced. Piper got the feeling that he was hiding something again.

“Will it _just_ make you tired or is there something else, too, that you’re not telling us about?” she asked in a cautious tone. Nico didn’t answer.

“Let me try for a little longer,” said Jason. He looked between Piper and Nico with a guarded look. “We’ll use Nico’s ability if I fail.”

After ten minutes of shuffling aimlessly, Piper told Jason to call it quits. His face was blank, but his movements were rigid and tight from frustration. She had a feeling he wouldn’t stop trying unless she stepped in. Nico didn’t make any noise. He watched them like a hawk.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” asked Jason. Nico shrugged with his arms crossed in front of him.

“If it’s the only way, then I guess we’ve got no choice.”

“Alright then,” said Jason in a tight voice. “Lead the way.”

Piper watched as Nico hesitated before grabbing their wrists. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She wondered what kind of ability allowed him to sense others. Usually his powers slid more towards the macabre.  

Piper heard a sharp strangled gasp as everything turned black. The sound quickly turned into the howling dark abyss of shadow travel. The grip on her wrist was tight.

The first thing Piper saw when the darkness ebbed away was trees. Lots and lots of trees. They stretched towards the sky, and their leaves were beginning to change colors. Red, yellow, and brown leaves flaked the trees, and many of their fallen comrades puddled the ground under Piper’s feet. They were on a bridge over a slow moving stream. A cool breeze prickled her dark skin.

Nico finally let go of her wrist, so Piper turned to look at him. The leaves crunched below as she got a good look at his hollow expression, and the wetness of his cheeks.

“Are you okay?” 

Nico nodded, but his entire body was shaking. 

“You look like you’re going to drop,” said Jason. Nico glared at him, but the sharp turn of his head caused the guy to lean over. Jason reached out and grabbed his arm before he landed flat on his face.

“Maybe we should sit and rest here for a couple minutes,” said Piper.

Nico looked like there was an argument at the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it down. He took hold of the bridge railing, and his knuckles protruded like small sharp white blades.

Jason released his hold on Nico’s shoulder and turned to face the stream below them. Piper mirrored his movements with a slight pout to her lips. In the corner of her eyes, she saw Nico wipe his face with a shaky tattered sleeve.

This quest wasn’t off to a great start. 

“Do you have ambrosia on you?” Piper looked up to see Jason addressing Nico. “You should eat some.”

“I don’t want to waste it on something like this.”

“We have enough, don’t we?” Jason turned to Piper with a look that screamed “Help!”

“I packed enough ambrosia for a small army,” Piper said as she smiled towards Nico. “Eat some.”

Piper rummaged into a side pocket of her backpack to pull out a bag of ambrosia. Nico reached out for it with a shaky hand and took the bag. When he plopped a square into his mouth, the worry lines on Jason’s face lessened. 

Piper couldn’t blame him for being worried about the guy. Nico was extremely powerful, but he looked like a zombie most of the time. The bags under his eyes were deep purple bruises, and his sallow skin was pasty and oily. He looked better than after his time in the bronze jar, but Piper could tell he was still far from being completely healthy. 

A small part of her wondered if he would ever fully regain health. The war was over, but he looked like he was still fighting one. It made her want to charmspeak him into eating a little more ambrosia and drinking all the draught tucked in her bag.

“The hunters are close,” Jason’s words brought Piper out of her thoughts. “They’re heading this way, actually.”

“Hopefully they won’t try to kill us on sight,” grumbled Nico. He finished munching on the ambrosia square with a difficult swallow.

Nico got his wish; the first arrow was a warning shot. It whizzed past with a _tweeeeeeee_ and struck the railing next to Jason’s hand. His shoulders jumped with fear, but his face sparked with excitement and an ear-to-ear grin. 

Piper looked up to see a lone girl perched on a tree branch. She was small, maybe twelve years old or so, but her face seemed ancient and calculating. Her dark auburn hair was in twin plaits snug tight to her scalp.

“Demigods,” the girl spoke. Her high voice had a calming quality to it that made Piper want to throw down her sword and join the girl’s side. “Welcome. I have been expecting you.”

“Are you...?” Jason started, but seemed to falter. Nico bowed towards the girl, and Piper raised a thick eyebrow.

“I am Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, and I have been expecting you.”

* * *

 

Piper saw Artemis before, but this was a lot different. For starters, she trotted alongside her like an old friend. The goddess had smiled and beckoned her forward as she walked them to her campsite. Jason and Nico trailed behind at a safe distance. 

Artemis was beautiful up close. It was weird that she appeared so small despite being so powerful, but Piper didn’t question it. Her silvery-yellow eyes were flecked with gold, but Piper tried not to stare too much. They had important business to discuss. 

The last time Piper saw the goddess, it was at a distance, and she seemed a lot more lackluster and war torn. Now, Artemis stood on strong determined legs as she lead the three demigods through the forest thicket. 

Still, talking with an ancient goddess was nerve-wracking. Piper gave a quick glance to Nico and Jason. Nico nodded to her. She heard a silent “You can do this.” Jason gave her a double thumbs up as he smiled.

Piper turned back to the goddess, the strength of her comrades filling her with the courage to talk.

“My lady, I have business to discuss with you.”

“I know,” Artemis smiled. “I could sense your urgency as soon as you arrived. I am connected to all maidens,” Artemis gave Piper a once over. “Well, women. Maybe maiden is an outdated term. My brother tells me constantly that I am behind on the times.”

“I think you’re doing well,” Piper charmspoke, but she worried about it’s effectiveness. It worked best on people who are attracted to Piper, and Artemis didn’t seem the type to budge easily from flattery even if it was magic.

“Thank you, young one, but flattery is not needed,” Artemis’ eyes twinkled like stars. “Come, my hunters are near.”

When they arrived at the outskirts of a camp settlement, Artemis pivoted. It was the first time she addressed Jason and Nico with her eyes. 

“Usually, men are barred from entering our campgrounds. It’s not enforced heavily since my hunters do find it a fun game to turn stray men into animals. I find it amusing as well,” Artemis smiled for a moment, but then her smile dropped. “I do not place much stock in men, but I do know there are a few that can honor their word. Swear to me that you will not disrupt my hunters or try to charm them, and you have my blessing to _temporarily_ step foot on the campgrounds.”

“I swear,” said both Jason and Nico. Artemis nodded. She lead the three of them past several tents, and Piper felt self conscious. Hunters popped their heads out from tents, or stopped tending to gutting squirrels to look at them. No matter what, Piper would never feel good about this many eyes on her. She craved attention, but not from a crowd of pretty immortal girls with a silvery sheen of strength and immortality. Piper wanted to melt into a puddle of obscurity. 

“JASON!”

Piper watched as a blur of black and silver tackled Jason to the ground. Considering he was tall and built like a tank, she was impressed. Thalia, Jason’s older sister, choke held him in a loving embrace. A few of the nearby hunters laughed and rolled their eyes. Others narrowed their eyes at the scene.

“Thalia,” said Jason. He spoke reverently, and his eyes crackled with electricity at seeing his sister again. He looked so alive as he stared at his sister. She hadn’t seen him smile like that in a long time. Not even at her. 

“I’ll leave the boys to my lieutenant,” Artemis bowed at Thalia, who smiled back at her patron. Her smile was lit like the sun. “I have much to discuss with Piper.”

Piper was reluctant to leave them alone, but Jason clutched Thalia like a lifeline. She knew how important Thalia was to him, so she didn’t want to drag him away even if she needed the support.

She thought of bringing Nico, but shot that down immediately, too. He still looked tired from whatever ability drained him earlier. Plus, his unease seemed to magnify at the hunters’ camp, and she wondered how okay he was with being here. High stress negotiating with a goddess probably wasn’t good medicine for him right now.

Piper nodded and followed Artemis into the biggest tent. Maybe Leo had shown Piper too much Doctor Who because it took all her strength not to shout “It’s bigger on the inside!”

The interior was at least three times the exterior, and the decorations fit what Piper expected of the Goddess of the Hunt. Animal skins draped the walls, and Piper tried to shove down her disgust. She knew animals could make a lot of useful things, but she still felt revulsion for it being used for decoration. At least when other people ate meat, they were consuming it to sustain themselves. Piper didn’t see the essential need to drape a poor animal’s skin like a trophy.

Artemis smiled at her. It was soft, and understanding.

“I understand your revulsion, demigoddess,” she spoke in a quiet tone. Piper burned with embarrassment that she had been so easy to read. “Do not worry. I hunt, but I hunt with love. I do not see eye to eye with your mother often, or at all, but I understand the importance of her power as much as anyone.”

Piper watched Artemis smooth her finger tips over a fur draped on a comfy chair.

“I surround myself with the things I love. I love to hunt. I love the creatures of the forest. I honor them, and they honor me in return. What I hang up and keep are those most precious to me, and they reincarnate with my blessing of an even more prosperous next life. I surround myself with women whom I always treasure and hold dear to my heart,” Artemis turned and regarded Piper with her striking silvery-yellow eyes. “What do you love, Piper Mclean?”

Lots of things, thought Piper. She loved her dad. She missed him, actually. Despite going to New Rome High School and being so close to her dad on weekdays, she never got to see him. His schedule kept him busy, and Piper was sick of it. When this was over, she was going to march up to her dad and finagle his schedule to include a daddy-daughter hangout day. 

She loved Jason. She saw him more than her father, but sometimes he seemed even more far away. There were time Piper felt like talking to him required a crowbar. It was ridiculous since she could usually sense what he was feeling, but he never bothered to open up. He expected everyone else to open up to him, and bottled his own emotions under a layer of “I’m fine, but how are _you_?” It was his most annoying trait, but she somehow found herself loving that part of him, too.

Leo was also someone she loved dearly, but she was starting to notice a trend. Leo buried himself in whatever he was working on, and she hadn’t seen him often either. Piper furrowed her eyebrows as she glared at the carpet. She loved even more people: Annabeth and Hazel and Reyna and Frank and everyone in the Aphrodite cabin (yes, even Drew), but she felt less connected to them than ever.

“I did not mean to upset you, young one,” Artemis placed a hand on Piper’s shoulder. The touch was soothing and warm. “I merely wished to talk with you. Maybe convince you.”

“Convince me of what?”

“Of joining the hunt. I could always use another hunter under my command.”

Piper shook her head no immediately. 

“I’m sorry, my lady. You’re strong and brave, and everything I admire in a fighter, but I don’t want to give up loving guys for relative immortality.”

“Romantic love,” Artemis corrected. “That is what my hunters swear off. That is what _I_ have sworn off. I still love a man; my brother, Apollo. You more than anyone should know there’s more than one type of love for more than one type of gender.”

Piper stared at Artemis with a small frown. 

“It still doesn’t feel like a right fit for me,” Piper dropped her gaze to the floor and crossed her arms over her chest. She didn’t want to offend the goddess, but she had to say what she felt in her heart to be true. “When I was younger, the girls in my classes used to tease me by calling me sensitive a lot. It was... I hated being called that. I cried at little things whether they were happy or sad. Now, I realize that’s a good thing. It’s a _great_ thing I love so much, and it’s what helps make me powerful. It took me so long to get here, and I don’t want to suppress any part of me. It’s part of what makes me, me.”

Piper felt a nudge at her thigh. A fawn was next to her, and the sight brought a small, sad smile to her face. She uncrossed her arms to stroke the top of its head. 

“I am saddened for the denial, but I am glad at the surety of yourself. You are, indeed, a powerful demigod to be reckoned with, Piper Mclean.”

“You’re not angry that I rejected you?” Piper stopped stroking the fawn and it walked back to a patch of furs to lay down. She had expected the goddess to be angry and smite Piper, not call her powerful.

“I do not agree with every choice each woman makes, but I believe in them and do not fault them as long as they follow their own code. I impart this mindset and implore my hunters to feel the same. After all, if I do not believe in my sisters, who will?”

Piper thought back to all those times growing up where groups of girls singled her out and made fun of her. A twisted, old knot in the pit of her stomach squeezed thinking about them. The truth was, they weren’t the only ones who made fun of her. Boys would pull her hair, and shuffle in front of her while screaming, “Hey, look at me, I’m doing a rain dance!” Piper felt sick at these old memories surfacing.

All she wanted when she was younger was for those girls to let her join their folds. Groups were more powerful than a single person, and if she were one of them then Piper would feel less alone. She felt betrayed. Maybe that’s why she focused more on the girls who bullied her than the boys who needed to learn a thing or two about personal space. They should understand more than anyone how she felt. 

Piper knew she didn’t want to be a hunter. There was no getting around that part. Just knowing a group of girls that supported each other existed made the old knot in Piper’s stomach feel less tight. Little Piper would’ve loved to have seen the group. Little Piper would’ve loved to have been _part_ of that group.

“Do you ever regret it?” she found herself asking. Artemis turned her eyes on her. They held so much power and calm that Piper trudged forward. “Do you ever regret forsaking romantic love?”

“No,” Artemis smiled. “I do not feel romantic love. I feel other kinds of love. I hold my family dearly, and my hunters perhaps even more. I love my brother unconditionally even if he’s an annoying ray of sunshine all the time. I will say I do not feel sexual love as well even if it is not something I make my hunters forsake when joining the hunt.”

“Oh. I’m sorry if I pried,” Piper bowed her head. She felt like the goddess had handed her something personal, and Piper wanted to clutch it close to her chest.

“It is fine, young one. I do not hide my preferences. Neither do my hunters. I hope one day you will be in a place that allows you to be comfortable enough to do the same.”

Piper raised an eyebrow at those words, but noticed Artemis no longer gazed at her. She stared up where a large circular hole in the ceiling let midday light stream in.

“You wish to speak to my brother, do you not?”

“Yes,” said Piper. She marveled at how Artemis knew why they arrived. Piper didn’t have to figure out a way to direct the conversation to Apollo; Artemis was doing all the work for her.

“I can arrange for that, but I need you to do something for me. Gather your companions and my lieutenant and meet me back in this tent. You are dismissed.”

It wasn’t hard to find Thalia, Jason, and Nico. When she left the tent, she saw Jason and Thalia sitting by the main campfire, but it wasn't burning. Their knees knocked back and forth as they talked. Nico sat near to them with a conscious effort for personal space. Piper jogged over there. 

"I should've practiced with you more," Thalia said to Jason. The crunching leaves beneath Piper's feet alerted her to look up. She smiled when she saw Piper. "Ah, Piper. Did it go well with Lady Artemis?"

Piper nodded. "She'll help, but she wants us to do something first. She said to come back with you as well."

Thalia was quiet for a moment as she regarded the three demigods. Her electric blue eyes settled on her brother.

"I see," she shrugged. “Makes sense. I hope you guys do well.”

“Do well with what?” Nico asked. He looked healthier than he did when they first made it to the woods, but there was something hollow about his expression. Maybe there were some wounds ambrosia couldn’t heal. 

“I hope it’s not more tracking,” Jason grumbled.

“You’re such a downer,” Thalia placed a hand on Jason’s cheek, but it was more like a soft slap. “You did fine.”

“I did _nothing_.”

“Downer about what?” Piper’s eyes darted between the Graces, and then at Nico who fiddled with the frayed edges of his jacket.

“Little bro won’t stop complaining about how bad of a teacher I am.”

“You’re a great teacher--“

“No, I should’ve practiced with you more,” Thalia sighed and rolled her eyes towards Piper. “Can you believe this doofus?” 

Thalia’s electric blue eyes settled on Piper’s face. It was unnerving, and Piper felt her cheeks flush.

“Y-yeah. I date him, so I have to deal with him all the time.”

“Hey,” pouted Jason. He looked like a puppy as he frowned next to Thalia. She grinned like the Cheshire Cat.

They looked as different as night and day, and Piper wasn’t just talking about their expressions. Thalia was the night; her dark choppy hair was inkblack and shaved on the side. Her freckles peppered her mediterranean skin like constellations. Jason was the day; his close-cropped hair was windswept and as bright as the sun. His sky blue eyes revered Thalia as she spoke, and Piper found it hard to concentrate too hard on either of them. 

“Anyway, I wanted this dummy to be able to find me no matter what. You know, just in case anything happens. Lady Artemis hates Iris Messages since it can give away our location, so we usually can’t be contacted that way.”

“She blocks them?” Jason piped up in a curious tone.

“I dunno,” Thalia shrugged. “Never asked. Anyway, I thought it would be easiest to just teach him a simplified version of how I track things. It uses a combination of the mist and the winds.”

“You can control the winds? I thought you couldn’t fly?” Nico looked up for the first time with his eyes deadset on Thalia’s face.

“Flying and wind control are different,” she answered without looking at Nico. “But mist manipulation is hard. You either pick it up eventually or you don’t ever. Of course, there’s the rare occurrence of being a complete awesome badass at it right away like his sister,” Thalia nodded and jutted a thumb towards Nico. “I never got to meet her, but I seriously want to pick Hazel’s brain.”

“I doubt she’d want to be a hunter,” said Nico. He pressed his lips tight, and his hollow eyes held a spark of challenge. Piper wondered if Thalia offended him by calling Hazel a badass, but she chalked it up to Nico being his usual mysterious self.

“She doesn’t have to be,” said Thalia as she finally glanced at Nico. “Just wanna talk to her. Maybe trade mist secrets and tips.” 

“I could use some ti-- ow!” Jason squinted in pain when Thalia pinched his cheek. He pouted down at her. “Quit it.”

“Make me.”

Piper covered her mouth before she let out a giggle snort. She watched the dignified ex-Praetor Jason Grace bat his sister’s hands away like a mosquito wouldn’t stop dive-bombing his face. Thalia took the hint and instead jabbed his side.

The display made Piper think back to her conversation with Lady Artemis. It was obvious how much Jason and Thalia loved each other. Neither of them wanted to blame the other for the shortcomings of the tracking technique. It wasn’t romantic or sexual; it was familial. Piper thought of her dad again, and the smile turned wistful as she watched them. 

Piper turned to Nico and hoped to distract herself. Anything she want to say vanished on her tongue when she noticed how uncomfortable he looked. He pulled his legs up and stared somewhere else. If she reached out and pushed him, he might roll away.

“Uh,” Piper spoke up with charmspeak laced into her voice. Immediately everyone’s eyes snapped on her which made her neck hot, but she continued on. “Let’s go talk to Lady Artemis and make some headway on this quest, shall we?”

“Yeah, you losers are gonna need as much time as you need,” Thalia rolled her eyes and slapped Jason’s back. “Come on, and follow me.”

When they made it back into the tent, Piper sat across from Lady Artemis. 

The goddess perched on a woven golden seat with mounds of furs cradling her body. A bouquet of wild flowers wound their way around the edges. They flourished and glowed next to the goddess’s bronze skin. Artemis herself looked ethereal and eternal on her throne, and the fawn from earlier snoozed in her lap.

Artemis didn’t feel the same as she did earlier. Piper couldn’t place it, but she seemed more “business” now that all three of them stood in front of her. 

“Welcome back,” she greeted to Piper and stroked the fawn. Thalia moved to her lady’s side and sat with her legs folded underneath her. In a fluid movement, she shouldered her bow off onto her lap. 

Nico bowed immediately, and Jason looked ready to do the same, but Lady Artemis held her hand up.

“You may sit.”

Piper sat down cross-legged on the soft carpet next to Jason. He sat in the middle since he was quest leader, and she fought the urge to hold his hand. It would have been obvious and an awkward time to engage in some PDA, so she held her ankle instead.

“So, I hear from Piper that you wish to speak to my brother?” 

Piper recalled that she hadn’t mentioned the sun and healing god at all, but didn’t speak against the goddess. She wanted to stay in her good graces.

“Yes, my lady,” Jason bowed his head.

“I have heard many rumors going about Olympus lately,” Artemis eyed Jason with a harsher gaze than Piper thought necessary. “I hear my grandfather is out and about. He spoke to you directly, even.”

“Yes, my lady, that is true.”

Piper wondered how fast rumors spread on Olympus. It’s been, what, an hour and a half since the meeting this morning? Then again, a god sat in on that meeting. The idea of Mr. D running around gossiping about them to the other gods was so weird Piper pushed the thought down to concentrate on the conversation. 

“What did he say to you?”

Artemis’ face was harsh like a blizzard, but Jason kept a solid poker face. Jason wasn’t the best when it came to always choosing the right words, but he was good at keeping his cool. Piper sent positive mental vibes his way as he crafted the story of what happened again.

“He said he wanted to be put back to sleep. Like Gaea had been.”

“How did he appear to you?”

“Well, he appeared tall. Dark skinned. Freckled.”

“So, he took a mortal form?”

“A mortal form?”

“He appeared as you do, or I do. On two legs with blood in his veins. One head on his body. Solid.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Artemis fell silent Her eyes scanned Jason’s face like she was reading him, but the words that appeared were appalling. “Were you awake, demigod?”

Jason opened his mouth to reply as quick as before, but no words came out. Piper noticed the indecision on his face before he answered for real.

“I think so.”

“You’re not sure?”

“Sometimes dreams are a little too real,” he said in a quiet voice.

“But you’re more sure that you were, indeed, awake?”

“... Yes, my lady.”

Artemis leaned back in her chair. The fawn in her lap leaped away as if burned, and Piper noticed the way the goddess clenched her fists. 

“My grandmother needed the blood of olympus to revive,” Artemis spoke slow as she gazed through the hole in the roof towards the sky. “My grandfather seemed to have found another way.”

“You don’t believe that he came back unintentionally?” Jason spoke up. “Why would he want to be put back to sleep?”

“Of course I don’t believe that,” Artemis’ sharp yellow eyes narrowed at Jason. “The idea of Ouranos willingly going into nothing for another eternity without a fight is laughable.”

“You would be surprised,” spoke Nico in a lazy voice. Artemis turned her gaze towards the son of Hades. “The fields of Asphodel aren’t full of beings who fought their end hard or at all. Some of them even chose it.”

“Those were mediocre mortals. Would a primordial being like Ouranos choose his own end? Would any Olympian? Would you, son of Hades?”

Nico’s passive face became a glare as shadows around their feet danced. Not good. Piper didn’t think getting mad at a goddess they were trying to get help from would be good.

“I think Lady Artemis has a point,” Piper interjected with as much charmspeak as she could. “Even if there’s a chance Ouranos is actually backing down, we should tread carefully. It’s in everyone’s best interest to be cautious.”

“Yeah, Piper’s right,” Jason said in a dazed voice. Nico didn’t speak right away which Piper thought odd. Usually people were quick to agree with her when she used charmspeak. He didn’t look as angry as Piper’s words washed over him, but she could tell he was still steamed over the comment.

“I guess,” he finally agreed.

“Do you have any idea what he might be planning?” Piper took hold of the conversation’s reigns. Artemis looked pleased at the change.

“I don’t know anything for certain. Just guesses. The most obvious guess is that he’s playing a game to overthrow the Olympians.”

Piper gave a side glance to Jason and Nico. That was definitely the most obvious guess, but Piper had no idea how he would use their quest to do it. Then again, he went straight to Jason, one of two of the only currently known children of the King of the Olympians. He had also been Hera’s first move to unite the Greeks and Romans. Would he play that kind of important role again?

_You will fail both your labors and your friends,_ the prophecy had said to Jason. Gooseflesh blossomed on her skin at the memory. She tried to be supportive, but she knew taking on this quest was dangerous with that kind of tagline hovering over them. 

She wanted to believe in Jason, and that he would succeed and they would all go home okay, but she had a feeling that wouldn’t happen. 

“Any other guesses?” Piper fought down the shakiness in her voice. She’s fought a primordial being before and _won_. She’s not going to let this get to her. 

“None I wish to share.”

_Great_ , thought Piper. She bit her lip. 

“According to the prophecy we received, it told us to seek the hunters, and that a lyre reborn could help us,” said Jason. There was a crack in his exterior that suggested he was more tired than he let on. “We have ideas about the lyre reborn, but we wish to speak to Lord Apollo about them.”

Artemis nodded. “My brother is annoying, but he never ignores when I call for him. He’s always hovering nearby like an irritating gnat just as all boys do.”

“You said we had to complete a task before you helped us?” Piper prompted. Then, with charmspeak she added, “of course, helping us anyway would get the job done faster. We could be on our way to putting Ouranos down and making sure you stay on your seat of power longer.”

The words filtered through Artemis, and Piper could see her half lidded gaze mulling it over. The goddess smiled.

“It’s a tempting offer, but I have to decline. This needs to be done. My lieutenant will supervise and assist if needed,” Lady Artemis nodded towards Thalia who nodded back. Her face looked cool and composed. “I need you to fetch a precious animal. A golden reindeer, in fact.”

“You lost one?” Nico questioned. Piper tried to think about what golden reindeer meant to Artemis, but she came up blank.

“No. I need you to catch the one that roams free, Cerynitis. The four that pull my chariot are, ah, _safe_.”

“How do we find them?”

“That is up to you, young demigods. However, I have one stipulation: do not harm my precious creature. Not even to catch them. I have let a hero do it once, but I have no intention of being that lenient ever again.”

“Hercules,” Piper said aloud in a moment of clarity. “You told him not to when he was completing his twelve labors, but he did it anyway because they were _impossible_ to catch otherwise.”

“That was not why I did not smite him for harming my precious Cerynitis, but that is why _he_ did it. I hope you are more resourceful than him.”

“More resourceful than the most well-known and revered hero in greek and roman mythology?” asked Jason in a quiet, but flat tone. “Great.”

Piper was pretty sure he hadn’t meant to utter that aloud. He looked like he needed a nap. Artemis didn’t scold him for questioning her choices, though. Instead, her eyes flared at him with challenge.

“A fitting task for a quest led by a son of Jupiter, is it not?”

Piper placed a hand against his shoulder blade. She could feel the taut muscle underneath. It didn’t melt under her touch, or register that she had even done anything. She frowned. Lately, Piper noticed that her attempts at comfort hadn’t been as effective as they used to be. Every time she tried something, Jason looked strained and smiled through whatever he was thinking. The only exception was when she used charmspeak for little things, but that left her feeling bitter. 

Even when she tried getting Jason to open up about his feelings, he somehow turned it into something about her. They talked through her problems, and it felt _amazing_ the first months into their relationship. Now, it felt hollow.

“Cerynitis is nearby, but it will not be easy. Good luck, young ones,” said Artemis. “You will need it.”

Thalia led them out of the tent, but Piper felt the eyes of Artemis follow her. 

Piper was glad she was standing among friends as they stood on the outskirts of the hunter’s camp. If she were at any of her old schools, she could only imagine the taunts the other kids would say. “Hey, a mythological golden reindeer is kind of like a spirit animal, so you can track it, right?” Piper frowned as she took a good look at her friends.

Nico looked better now, but his heavily lidded eyes still didn’t look one-hundred-percent ready. There was a slight frown to his face, but it looked contemplative. She wondered if he was figuring out a plan and not liking what he was thinking, so Piper looked to Jason to see if he was ready to give orders. 

Thalia’s arm brushed against Jason’s as she settled her arms across her chest. She leaned on him and murmured something to her brother that Piper couldn’t hear. Her sharp jawline and cheeks could cut glass, but the soft way she looked over at Jason made Piper’s heart pitter-patter. 

They looked so different, but she could also spot some similarities now that they leaned on each other and talked in quiet tones. They had the same distinct cupid’s bow curve to their lips and sculpted noses. Their eyes were narrow, but the blue shone bright.

Thalia’s eyes blazed with cold electricity as she scanned the forest thicket. Jason’s was calm like a cloudless summer sky.

“I still have no idea how we would capture it,” said Jason. “Any ideas?”

“A strong golden net, maybe?” Nico tried. “That’s how a lot of gods got captured in the myths.”

“Sure,” snorted Thalia. “I’ll pull one out of my quiver.” 

“Too bad Leo’s not here,” sighed Piper. “He could have whipped one up in seconds.”

“... Yeah, he could have,” said Jason.

“Artemis never tasked you to capture one before?” asked Piper. Thalia shook her head no.

“Cerynitis roams free. If we ever see them, then it’s a good omen, but we are not allowed to hunt them.” 

“We could always just wing it?” offered Piper. She didn’t have any other ideas.

“True demigod style,” Thalia smirked. “I like it.”

“We should at least try to plan,” Jason frowned.

“Do you have any better ideas?” asked Nico. Jason looked like he wanted to argue, but deflated like a miserable balloon.

“No, I don’t,” Jason sighed, but then turned his narrow eyes on Nico. “Do you?”

“I think we should split up,” said Nico. Piper rounded back towards him to see the frown getting more pronounced on his face. “Teams of two. Thalia and Jason on one; myself and Piper on the other.”

“Not that I’m opposed to a divide and conquer style,” started Jason. He frowned at Nico, but he looked more like a confused puppy than anything else. “But why split up for this?”

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence Artemis ordered Thalia to join us. Two children of Zeus completing a task from Hercules’ third labor? It’s a perfect match,” Nico sighed and looked over at Piper. “Besides, animals hate me. I doubt a golden reindeer will like the smell of death any better, so Piper’s stuck with me.”

“Why am I stuck with you?” Piper blurted out. Her face got hot realizing how bad that sounded. “I mean, no offense, but--“

“None taken,” Nico gritted out. He sounded like he took a lot of offense. Even Jason looked disappointed in her. Thalia observed them like a neutral outside party.

“No, it’s just that I can help. I don’t know _how_ , but I know I can do _something_.”

“I think Nico has a good idea and that you two should stick together here,” said Jason. “An uneven 3-to-1 division doesn’t strike me as right, and no one should be left alone.”

Jason was using his old Praetor Voice, and now it was Piper’s turn to look disappointed. She knew he was being diplomatic which was usually her job, but she really wanted to help. She volunteered despite the prophecy for a reason. What was all that training with Hazel and at Camp Half-Blood for if she was still treated like the girl who needed to sit on the sidelines as everyone else got to be a hero?

“Fine,” she said in a way that was obvious she wasn’t fine with it.

“Good,” said Jason with a shaky nod. “Then let’s catch something that is completely uncatchable.”

The four of them devised a game plan. First, Thalia and Jason would use Thalia’s tracking skills to pinpoint the location of Cerynitis. After that, they had nothing, but Piper trusted their ability to think on the fly. At the least, she put blind faith that they would make it through this like they have in the past. She believed in them, and that was what mattered.

As soon as Thalia and Jason dashed off to be great heroes, Piper felt her stomach turn to lead. Being left behind felt horrible enough. Being left alone with Nico di Angelo twice in one day was just pure bad luck. He wasn’t the most positive guy to hang around, and his aura always screamed, “Danger! Stay away!”

She could tell he was still sour about how she didn’t want to stay behind with him since he wouldn’t stand anywhere near her. He glared at the horizon like it personally offended him instead of Piper. 

Piper sighed. She had to do _something_.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” she started. “I’m just sick of waiting around. I didn’t mean anything bad towards you.”

Nico turned towards her. His hair fanned and curled over his face, but she could still see the unsure glare of his eyes.

“I have an idea to catch Cerynitis,” said Nico. “Out of everyone on this quest, I know you the least, but this idea hinges on you. I only suggested to split up and for you to stay here so that Jason could spend time with his sister.”

Piper blinked. “Oh.”

Piper knew Jason missed Thalia. He hadn’t been able to spend much time with her, and she knew that weighed heavy on his heart. Seeing her again left him hovering off the ground in awe. Piper always thought Jason’s friendship with Nico was a little one-sided since the guy left without a trace, but maybe he was more considerate of her boyfriend than she first thought.

Nico shoved his hands into the side pockets of his jacket. “I know a little about your powers from what I’ve seen, but mostly because of what Hazel has told me about you. She really likes you. I mean, you know. She considers you her best friend.”

Piper smiled. She couldn’t choose favorites; it just wasn’t in her nature to do so. She loved her friends equally, and all of them were her best friends. Leo, Annabeth, Hazel, Frank, and Percy, and Reyna. Even Jason was her best friend despite their relationship status. She smiled thinking about them, and her smile got brighter thinking about Hazel calling her “best friend.” The lead in her stomach evaporated and Piper felt light enough to fly.

“That’s really sweet of her,” she said. “That’s really sweet of you, too, by the way.”

Nico raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t do anything.”

“You gave Jason some extra time with his sister. It means a lot to him. It means a lot to me, too,” Piper smiled. “Thank you.”

Nico’s face turned blotchy red in embarrassment as he tried to look anywhere but at Piper. “Yeah, well, whatever. You’re welcome.”

Piper’s smile turned contemplative as she stared at him staring at anywhere but her. This was the second time he acted embarrassed in front of her since the quest started, and it made her wonder if maybe he harbored a crush on her. Her gut immediately struck that down, but Piper couldn’t figure out why.

Annabeth told her about the rumors that he had a crush on her when they were traveling on the Argo II. It had been fun to crack jokes about Death the Kid being lovestruck with wisdom’s daughter below decks with other crew members. It seemed hilarious then, but now it seemed like the silly gossip the popular kids at her old schools subjected her to. 

Being face to face with Nico now, she didn’t feel any love vibes directed towards her. She only felt a lonely kid who wasn’t used to attention not knowing what to do with a kind smile. Piper frowned.

“So, what’s your idea?”

“Well, basically, I want you to tell Cerynitis to come here and follow you back to Artemis.”

“Um, Nico, I don’t speak reindeer.”

“I know, but your voice is powerful, Piper. I wasn’t conscious for it, but you woke up a _machine_. You can make anything listen to you. Even a reindeer.”

Piper opened her mouth to argue, but found that she couldn’t. It was the second time someone unexpected called her powerful, and it was the second time she believed them. Her abilities weren’t logical; it was pure divine emotion that poured from her voice and pulled on anything’s strings.

“So you want me to pull a disney princess and sing to cute critters until Cerynitis comes out?”

“I wouldn’t have put it like that, but if you need to go full-on Snow White to do this, then I won’t stop you.”

Piper imagined herself in Snow White’s get-up reenacting scenes from the disney movie where the princess sang to animals. The long flowing yellow dress with petticoat underneath was _so_ not combat ready, and her burgundy skin was browner than any 1930’s disney princess wished they could be, but the thought made her giggle.

“Okay, I’ll try it,” said Piper. “I wonder if Cerynitis has good hearing. If I speak, will that be enough?”

“I don’t know,” Nico grimaced. “I could try tracking them like I did the hunters--“

“No!” Piper responded so quick Nico jumped and stared at her wide eyed. “I mean, it really wore you out. That’s last resort stuff.”

“I’ll be fine,” Nico shrugged.

“I don’t know you that well, either, but I’m pretty sure you’re one of those guys that could be bleeding on the floor and still go, ‘I’m fine,” Piper rolled her eyes. “Trust me, I know your type when I see them. I date Jason Grace.”

Nico looked torn between laughing and saying another “I’m fine.” It was the most  comfortable he’s looked since he arrived this morning, and the closest he’s got to a real smile. Piper mentally patted herself on the back.

“Y’know what? You’re right about my charmspeak. I have no limits. I’m gonna speak, and Cerynitis will hear me. I’ll make sure of it,” Piper’s eyes blazed as she began walking. The crunching leaves behind her announced that Nico followed her. 

“Cerynitis, are you there? It’s me, Piper. I know you don’t know me yet, but I would really appreciate it if you came out of hiding,” Piper’s voice rang out in the forest with a soft echo following. Piper continued speaking as she calmly looked around for any signs of the golden reindeer. She decided to talk to Cerynitis like they were an old friend. She told them about Gaea and what went down in that battle, and then she moved onto their current predicament with Ouranos.

She thought about how she treated Festus with respect back during her fight against Khione. Piper fully believed Festus would wake up, and she felt that same fire burn inside her to believe that Cerynitis would listen to her and appear to them. 

“I know you’re free and fast. We’re nothing compared to you which is why we need your help. Please, Cerynitis.”

Piper felt a hand at her back grasp her shirt. She stopped and marveled that Nico had reached out to stop her, but she noticed the slack jaw of his expression and followed his eyes.

The golden deer, Cerynitis, stood twenty feet away with golden glowing eyes locked onto them.

Piper was too stunned to move. The golden glow of the reindeer was so strong she was pretty sure it could cut through any darkness like a beacon of light. The elegant horns looked sculpted from imperial gold. It reminded Piper of the unicorns at Camp Jupiter that Hazel had shown her. She wondered if the horns of Cerynitis had healing properties as well. 

"Holy crap," Nico muttered in a revered voice. "It worked."

"I know," said Piper in a dazed voice. The Reindeer did not move closer nor did it do anything but stare. Piper decided to make the next move.

“Cerynitis, you came to us," said Piper. She smiled, and bowed. Her thick ponytail drifted over her shoulder and tickled her cheek. "Thank you."

The reindeer bowed back. The fur on its elegant legs ruffled and shone like spun gold as it took steps towards them until Piper could feel puffs of the reindeer's breath. She reached out slow, but stopped in middair. 

"Is it alright if I touch you?"

Piper looked into the reindeer's eyes. Piper couldn't get a good read on them. For an answer, Cerynitis bowed their head into Piper's touch. The fur was softer than anything Piper had ever touched. 

"Nico..." Piper breathed out. "We did it."

" _You_ did it, not me."

"It was your idea for me to use my charmspeak to help bring Cerynitis here," Piper smiled at him as her hand stroked the golden reindeer's fur. "I'm glad Jason thought to bring you. I couldn't have done this without you."

Nico hunched into his jacket as his face turned bright red like a tomato. "You would've thought of it eventually."

Piper smiled at him.

"You should pet him, too."

"No, I, uh. Smell like death."

Piper glanced at Cerynitis. He fidgeted when Nico talked, and clopped his hooves against the leaf ridden forest floor.

"We're all calm here," said Piper. Her charmspeak drifted between the three of them. "Nico may smell like the underworld, but that's not bad. The Underworld is the pit stop before the next life for us."

Nico was eyeing her, but didn't say anything. He reached out a hesitant bony hand that eventually made contact with the reindeer's snout.

"I'm... They're letting me touch them."

"Y'know what?" Piper let out a giggle. "Next time the world isn't under threat of a big bad guy, I'm gonna take you to a pet store and tell all the puppies and kittens that you're cool and we won't leave until you've pet all of them."

"You're weird," Nico muttered, but he was grinning. Cerynitis nudged Piper’s hand.

“We should get back to Lady Artemis,” Piper gave the golden reindeer one last pat before taking a step back. “We still have a world to save.”

The three of them strolled through the woods back to the camp with ease. Piper was glad no monsters decided to attack. Usually, demigods had the worst luck when it came to that sort of thing. She heard that demigods smell really tasty, but Piper didn’t find her shampoo particularly mouth watering. Thinking about scents reminded her of earlier, and she turned to address Nico.

“So, what was that technique, anyway?” Piper asked. She glanced at Nico to see him looking back with a puzzled expression.

“What technique?”

“The one you used to track the hunters,” Piper paused. “I never thought of a son of Hades having some sort of tracking skill. You’re usually just skeleton boy.”

“Skeleton boy,” Nico repeated. He didn’t look offended this time, but instead rolled the words on his tongue like trying a new food. “Well, it’s still pretty morbid, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

Piper kept her questioning gaze on Nico to help prod him into telling her the truth. He took one look at her face and sighed.

“I can sense death,” said Nico.

“I’m with you so far,” Piper nodded.

“I can sense people dying, too, and the thing about mortals... Well, we’re always dying. The body is slowly...,” Nico trailed off as his hollow eyes stared somewhere over Piper’s shoulder. Piper almost turned to see what he was looking at, but he scrunched up his eyebrows and shook his head. “Anyway, if I concentrate I can check in on certain people. The problem is that hyperfocusing can be a little painful.”

“Why?” Piper furrowed his eyebrows.

“Uh, have you ever felt someone die? Because it’s a lot. And sensing it makes me connected, sort of, and I... Well, it’s not pleasant. Even though the hunters are technically immortal, that connection is still enough to be uncomfortable. I try not to do it unless it’s extremely important.”

“Thank you for doing it anyway to make sure we found them,” said Piper. “I know I’ve said it a lot, but I really appreciate what you’ve done so far for this quest.”

“You _have_ said it a lot,” Nico pointed out. “I mean, I’m appreciative, but it’s weird.”

“Weird how?”

“I didn’t think you even liked me.”

“Oh,” said Piper. She was ready to say that she liked Nico before, but it wasn’t exactly true. She never spoke to him, and barely knew him. Most of her information about who he was came second hand. Not all of it was pleasant. Piper watched as the cool indifference on Nico’s face melted into panic. He looked like he wanted nothing more than to sew his lips shut. 

“I mean, it’s fine. I’m used to it, but I just,” babbled Nico. “I don’t know. It’s weird. I’m sorry for saying anything.”

Nico bounded in front of them as the hunter’s camp came into view. Piper couldn’t stop frowning at the back of Nico’s aviator jacket. Cerynitis nudged her shoulder. She sighed.

Artemis stood outside of her tent. Her stature was small, but that didn’t stop her from standing tall. She could see her smile across the campgrounds. 

“My lady,” said Nico. He got to her first and bowed appropriately. Piper followed suit. Cerynitis trotted to the goddess, and Artemis immediately stroked their snout.

“I expected nothing less from you, Piper,” said Artemis. “You were able to catch Cerynitis without harm. You did well. Both of you.”

It surprised her to hear Artemis compliment a guy, but she didn’t comment.

“So often, heroes will want to slash their swords and nock their bows to get through every obstacle. Most of the time, it’s how you survive. However, not every battle can be won through brute strength, and some battles take time to win,” Artemis leaned her face against the fur of her golden reindeer. “Sometimes, a different approach must be taken. Patience yields the best results. Remember well, young demigods.”

Piper nodded. As if on cue, Thalia and Jason appeared next to them. The winds were gentle as Jason’s feet touched the earth again. Thalia’s feet dangled. She clutched her brother for dear life, and she hadn’t removed her smushed face from against his chest even when the winds died down around them.

“We’re on the ground again, right?”

“Yes, Thalia,” he said and gently placed her down. Thalia opened her eyes, and both Grace siblings looked completely unsurprised to see the golden reindeer standing at the side of Artemis. They also looked windswept and a little battle damaged. Maybe they weren’t so lucky on the no-monster front.

“So,” said Piper. She pointed at Cerynitis. “We did it.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” snorted Thalia. “The one time I got a clear feeling of their scent, I found they were already at camp. We figured you guys did it somehow, so we came back.”

“ _How_ did you guys do it?” Jason’s eyes flicked between Piper and Nico.

“Piper used her charmspeak,” said Nico in a flat tone. “I just watched.”

“It was Nico’s idea,” Piper clarified.

“Well, I’m glad you guys were able to do it,” said Jason, but he was looking at her and Nico with a sour expression. Piper couldn’t decipher it at all.

“Go free again, Cerynitis,” said Artemis. She slapped the backside of the golden reindeer and it trotted off.

“Why did you make us catch them if you were just gonna set them free afterwards?” asked Piper.

“Sometimes, you must let your precious ones go,” said Artemis. “Besides, Cerynitis is a free spirit. They can do more good and aid the world more without being tethered to one person.”

Artemis smiled at Piper. Piper gave the goddess a soft smile back.

“That still felt like busywork,” grumbled Nico.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I beheaded a dracanae, so I got my workout for the day,” said Thalia as she stretched her arms up to the sky. Her jacket and shirt rode up. “Big strong guy here beheaded _two_.” Thalia slapped Jason’s stomach.

“Thalia, please.”

“Are you finished?” Artemis eyed her lieutenant with a small smile. Thalia sobered up under her superior’s gaze.

“Yeah. Sorry, my lady”

“It’s fine,” said Artemis, and her eyes sparkled like stars. “I often get wrapped up speaking to my own brother. Speaking of, I owe you three one chat with him.”

“We’re not going to wait for sunrise again, are we?” ask Nico. Piper had no idea what he was talking about, but she knew he looked tired saying that.

“No, I’ll get him down now. Speak of the donkey--“

“And he shall come,” finished a voice of to their side. “But I’m way better looking than an ass.”

Piper looked over her shoulder to see-- wow. Okay, wow. She remembered seeing Apollo before, but he looked a lot different. 

Before, the war left him disheveled and pallor. Now, he looked like the sun had reached down and kissed his skin a golden brown, and his tussled hair glowed like the fur of Cerynitis. The amber of his eyes were warm as he looked at his sister. 

“My dearest sister, how have you been?”

“Apollo, I need you to help these demigods,” said Artemis. She jutted out a hip and craned her head up to address her brother. Despite being shorter and appearing younger, she looked much more formidable. Unfortunately, it all bounced off of Apollo’s sunny exterior. 

“Demigods again? It’s always demigods, isn’t it? Why, it’s almost like you only call me when you need something,” Apollo brought a hand over his chest. “My heart is breaking.”

“Oh, don’t be dramatic,” Artemis rolled her eyes and went over to grab Apollo’s hand and bring him to the demigods. “It’s no trouble for you to help them.”

Apollo swung their clasped hands back and forth like a toddler. It was awkward because of their height difference, but he didn’t seem to mind. Artemis did, and she dropped their hands. Apollo frowned, but he did so at the quest trio.

“I dunno. The last couple of times I’ve helped demigods it hasn’t gone too well. I mean, I’m still in hot water with father,” Apollo’s frown depended further. “And every one of these heroes were involved with the whole Gaea debacle. Bad omens.” 

“Well, now there’s an Ouranos debacle,” Jason said. 

“We’re trying to do something about him before he wreaks havoc like Gaea had,” added Nico.

“You might get blamed if you don’t help us stop him,” Piper used charmspeak with her comment. Apollo visibly shuddered. 

“I guess I could help,” groaned Apollo. “For my little sis, if nothing else.” 

He rummaged around in his pocket. It reminded Piper of when Leo stuck his hand in his magical toolbelt. Artemis nodded.

“Good,” said Artemis. “Then me and my hunters can finally take our leave.”

Artemis nodded to Thalia, and walked off to give her hunters orders to pack up camp.

“It’s been fun guys,” said Thalia with a smile. Piper smiled back. Nico nodded mutely before going back to staring at Apollo struggle with his pants pocket. Jason had his eyes glued to Thalia.

“I’ll see you around, right?” he said in a small voice.

“Of course, little brother,” Thalia said and she threw her arms around him. Piper smiled at the display.

“A-ha!” Apollo smirked in triumph and pulled a crumpled neon pink flyer out of his pocket. “I knew it was in there somewhere.”

Thalia released her brother, but her hand stroked and patted his face like she didn’t want to let go. She did. Piper watched Thalia walk back towards the hunters campground as they collapsed their tents. Jason looked a little misty-eyed. 

“So,” said Jason, and he attempted to clear his throat so it wouldn’t sound like he was about to cry. “Lord Apollo, we got a prophecy--“

“I know what prophecy you received,” sighed Apollo. “That’s kind of my thing. Plus, Dionysus has the second biggest mouth on Olympus. You wouldn’t believe the amount of rumors among the grapevine.”

Apollo chuckled to himself, and handed Jason the flyer. Piper and Nico leaned towards him to read.

_Be inspired for_

_The Muses_

_Coming to a venue near you!_

_Join us for an ENCHANTING PARTY_

_EVERY SUNDAY starting at 6:00pm until dawn_

_Go to any bar to join!_

_RSVP not necessary._

The three of them simultaneously looked back up at Apollo in confusion.

“Hey, I could let you borrow my lyre, but you wouldn’t believe how much Hephaestus had to do to fix it after Percy Jackson left a dent in it,” Apollo shook his head. “Magical items imbued with a god’s power are powerful, deadly, and a complete pain in the ass to fix,” Apollo summoned his lyre for effect and strummed it. “Go to the muses party, and tell ‘em I sent you. Speak to Euterpe,” Apollo strummed his lyre again. “She’ll help. Hopefully. Just don’t go insane or anything beforehand.”

Piper exchanged worried looks with the other two. 

“So, where do we go? It just says ‘bar.’”

“Oh, wherever,” Apollo waved his hand vaguely.

“Wherever?”

“The muses can be found anywhere just like inspiration,” he smiled. His teeth were dazzling white. “You just have to look for it.”

Piper frowned. Mr. D had told her the exact same thing when she asked him about the Muses. She thought that was just him being unhelpful, but maybe he was answering her seriously.

“So, if we just go into any random place, then they’ll be there?” asked Jason.

“Oh, no. Some places aren’t very inspiring. I said you have to _look_ for it. Keep your eyes peeled. _Feel_ the inspiration.”

“Thank you, Lord Apollo,” said Jason. “We’re appreciative of your help.”

“As long as you succeed, we should be fine,” Apollo waved his hand, but then froze. “Well, as long as _one_ of you succeeds, we should be fine.”

Piper didn’t like the way he said that. She opened her mouth to ask another question, but Apollo clapped his lyre so hard he exploded in a bright blinding light. Piper scrunched her eyes together so the light wouldn’t blind her.

She blinked her eyes open to see scorch stains and leaves sizzling where Apollo was standing. Jason and Nico looked equally dazed.

“That was...” Jason trailed off.

“Yeah,” Nico agreed.

A wolf howled. Piper turned to see that the hunters were gone already. They left no trace that they camped here.

“So,” started Nico. “Where to?”

“Wherever inspiration takes us,” said Jason, but he didn’t sound very convinced. 

“Well, the party’s tomorrow,” pointed out Piper. 

“So, we have some time to get ‘inspired,’” said Nico. He gave inspired air quotes.

“Yeah,” agreed Piper. “So, let’s bunker down somewhere until we can figure it out. In fact...” Piper trailed off, and smiled big. “Let’s go to my house. It’s by the beach. That’s pretty inspiring, right?”

“Yeah,” Jason smiled. He turned toward Nico, and his smile turned into a concerned frown. “Will shadow traveling that far be alright? Piper lives in Malibu; that’s across the country.”

“I can do it,” Nico grumbled.

“Alright. Lead the way, then,” said Jason as he gestured at Nico. Piper told him her address, and he grabbed both of their wrists with less hesitation than before. Inky shadows twisted and morphed around them until it sent Piper hurtling into darkness. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I appreciate comments, criticism, and concerns.
> 
> Next Chapter title: IV. Nico. The Demigod Version of Writer’s Block. Yeah, we're alternating Nico and Piper's PoVs for the last 2/3s of this fanfiction. Next time, it’s time to party! Let's hope no ones loses their dance partners, and that they definitely don’t lose themselves. Also, getting stumped about what to do next is a natural part of quests, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating.


End file.
